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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
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http://www.archive.org/details/minutebookofcommOOtryo 



The Minute Book of the 
Committee of Safety 



THE MINUTE BOOK 

of the COMMITTEE 

OF SAFETY 

Of Tryon County, the Old New York Frontier 
Now Printed Verbatim for the Firft Time 



With an Introdumon by J. HOWARD HANSON 
and Notes by SAMUEL LUDLOW FREY 




NEW YORK: DODD, MEAD 
AND COMPANY • MDCCCCV 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

DEC 6 1905 

Copyright Entry 

cuss c^ XXc. No, 

COPY ^. 






Copyright, igo^y 
By the Montgomery County Historical Society 

Copyright, igos. 
By S. L. Frey 

Copyright, igos. 
By Dodd, Mead & Company 

Published October, 1905 



THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, V.8.A. 



TO 

STEPHEN SANFORD 

Who has done so much to make the fair valley of the 

Mohawk as famed for its industrial activity as for its 

wondrous natural beauty, and whose generosity 

has preserved for future generations the relics 

of the unwritten history of the valley's past. 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

The illustrations are reproduced from 
photographs made by J. Arthur Maney 



Court House at Johnstown Frontispiece ■ 

Facsimile of the First Page of the Original Manu- 
script of the Minutes 8 

Guy Park. Amsterdam. Home of Colonel Guy Johnson i6 

Colonel Jacob Klock's House. St. Johnsville .... 28 

Map of Tryon County 36 

House of Gose Van Alstine. Canajoharie 44 

Mount Johnson, or Fort Johnson. Built by Sir William 

Johnson 52-^ 

The Turnpike. Palatine Church in the Distance . 62- 

A Cliff on the Canajoharie Creek 70 '' 

Jail at Johnstown 78 "^ 

The Mohawk at Trikes Hill 86 ^' 

Queen Anne's Chapel Parsonage (17 12) at Fort Hunter 94 

Johnson Hall. Johnstown. Built in 1763 .... 102 

House of General Herkimer. Danube no 

The Mohawk at Little Falls 118^ 

House of Colonel Peter Waggoner. Palatine . . . 128 

House Built by Henry Frey. 1739. Palatine . . . 136 ^ 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Introduction 



This is the Land of the Pioneer, 

Where a life-long feud was healed ; 

Where the League of the Men whose Coats were Red 

With the Men of the Woods whose Skins were Red 

Was riveted, forged, and sealed : 

Now, by the blood of our Splendid Dead, 

God save our sons from the League of Red! 

R. W. Chambers. 

Committees of Safety or Committees of 
Correspondence, as they were at first styled, 
were the children of the genius of Samuel 
Adams, " the helmsman of the Revolution." 
As early as 1764, Adams recognized that if 
there was to be, on the part of the colonists, 
any successful opposition to the oppressive 
measures of the British ministry, there must 
be a thorough understanding between all of 
those, throughout the various colonies, that 
were in sympathy with the patriot cause. 



[vii] 



MINUTES OF THE 



On October 5th, 1772, he wrote under the 
pseudonym of "Valerius Poplicola " in the 
" Boston Gazette," 

" Let Associations and Combinations be 
everywhere set up to consult and recover our 
just Rights." 

As a result of Adams' persistent efforts, 
there were organized throughout Massachu- 
setts, and eventually throughout most of the 
colonies, associations of men, pledged by vows 
of secrecy or of honor to support and to defend 
what they deemed to be the liberties of Eng- 
lish subjects. These associations, at first called 
Committees of Correspondence and afterwards 
Committees of Safety, were, in the language 
of Fiske, the "beginnings of the American 
Union." 

The transactions and proceedings of these 
committees, in so far as they have been pre- 
served, are of greater or less interest to the 
student of to-day in proportion as they were 
surrounded by the element of danger. If they 
record the acts of those living in a community 
in which the patriot cause was overwhelmingly 
predominant, and there was no fear or danger 

[ viii ] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



of a British invasion or of an armed resistance 
on the part of the loyalists, then they lack 
those heroic qualities which fire our feelings 
and imaginations. If, however, the doings of 
those old patriots were " set in Danger's 
Van " then, aside from their purely historical 
interest, they greatly move and inspire all in 
whom the love of country is not dead. 

If the shedding of blood, the sacrifice of 
property, the sundering of family ties, the 
breaking of life-long friendships, if all or any 
of these are any measure of one's devotion to 
a cause, then surely the men of the old New 
York frontier, who espoused the patriot side 
in the Revolutionary Contest, attained as high, 
if not a higher level of heroic achievement than 
those in any other of the thirteen colonies. 

Tryon County, whether, as contended by 
some, its limits included all the territory within 
the present boundaries of the State of New 
York west of the westerly line of Albany 
County, or was more restricted in its area as 
asserted by others, was the New York frontier 
and the scene of the most memorable, savage, 
and sanguinary border wars of the Revolution. 



MINUTES OF THE 



The principal settlements of the county 
followed the present and the immemorial lines 
of travel, the Old Iroquois trail, to be suc- 
ceeded in turn by the batteaux, the stage- 
coach, the Erie Canal, and in these later days, 
the great systems controlled by the New York 
Central & Hudson River Railroad Company. 
All of these lines of communication from 
Schenectady west followed the valley of the Mo- 
hawk. The traveller from Albany westward, 
through the Mohawk Valley, looks out upon 
not only one of the fairest and most peaceful 
of landscapes in the western world, but one as 
rich In historic memories, in heroic traditions, 
and in weird legend as it is in natural beauty. 

To appreciate, in any degree, the dangers 
which surrounded the patriots of Tryon 
County, one must have some knowledge of 
the conditions there preceding the Revolution- 
ary period. The county was the home of one 
of the most commanding figures in American 
colonial history, Sir William Johnson, who 
had been for years His Britannic Majesty's 
Superintendent of Indian AflFairs in North 
America. It was Sir William Johnson's tact, 

[7] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



ability, and diplomacy, that had made the 
powerful league of the Six Nations the firm 
and trusty ally of the English King. He had 
by an Indian marriage allied himself to the 
most capable and powerful Indian chieftain of 
his day. Life in the valley presented a curi- 
ous anomaly in Colonial civilization. Side by 
side with the white population, consisting 
principally of those of Holland Dutch, Pala- 
tine German, and Scotch-Irish descent, were 
Mohawks and Oneidas of the Iroquois con- 
federacy, while many times the council fires of 
the Long House were lighted at Fort Johnson 
and Johnson Hall. History and tradition both 
tell us that for years prior to the Revolution 
the valley was rich and populous, with excel- 
lent homes and farm buildings and large areas 
of land under a high state of cultivation. The 
shiretown of the county was Johnstown, where 
Sir William lived in baronial state. Here also 
were the jail and court-house, still standing, and 
still used for their respective purposes. 

Sir William had died in 1774 and his manor 
house came into the possession of his son Sir 
John. The office of Superintendent of Indian 



[xi] 



MINUTES OF THE 



Affairs passed to his nephew Col. Guy John- 
son, whose home, Guy Park, remains in an 
excellent state of preservation at Amsterdam. 
The dread and fear with which the elder John- 
son had looked upon the coming crisis between 
the colonies and the crown were evidently not 
shared by his son and nephew, in the war of 
pen and petition which preceded the actual 
battle at arms of the Revolution, the lines 
between the patriots and loyalists in Tryon 
County were early and sharply defined. In 
August, 1774, a meeting was held in the Pala- 
tine district of the county, at which, by a set 
of resolutions couched in as dignified language 
as that of any paper of the time, the patriots 
of that district pledged their support to their 
brethren of Boston and their firm allegiance to 
the cause of the colonies. It is with the pro- 
ceedings of this meeting that the minutes of 
the committee of Tryon County commence. 
From that time on until 1783, or two years 
after the surrender of Cornwallis, the county 
knew no peace. There was first the struggle 
between the Johnson faction and the com- 
mittee for the Indian alliance on the one side 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



and for Indian neutrality on the other. Then 
there came, in quick succession for eight long 
years, the raids of the Johnsons and Butlers 
with their Indian allies, the horrors of the fire- 
brand and the scalping-knife, the strife of 
border warfare, and the awful carnage of Oris- 
kany. Well might General Clinton have ex- 
pressed the fear, in 1779, that Schenectady 
would become the frontier of the State ! And 
what a desolation at the end ! The Johnson 
family and their adherents were forever driven 
from the State ; their Indian allies were dis- 
persed or destroyed, the League of the Iro- 
quois that had shattered the hopes of French 
colonization in North America was broken. 
Of the inhabitants of the county two-thirds 
had been killed, and of the remainder three 
hundred and eighty were widows and two 
thousand fatherless children. Besides the loss 
of life, the loss of property in the Johnson 
and Indian raids had been appalling. A con- 
servative historian in estimating this property 
loss states that seven hundred buildings had 
been burned and one hundred and fifty thou- 
sand bushels of wheat destroyed, while twelve 

[ xiii ] 



MINUTES OF THE 



thousand farms lay uncultivated. Surely " if 
blood be the price " of liberty the patriots of 
Tryon County paid in full measure and run- 
ning over. The pages that follow are a ver- 
batim reprint, now published in full for the 
first time, of the transactions of the Committee 
of Safety of Tryon County, or of so much 
of them as are in existence. Read with a 
knowledge of the political and social conditions 
which surrounded the actors, and of the tragic 
events which followed, they are of intense, 
dramatic interest. The ample and scholarly 
notes of Mr. S. L. Frey add very much to an 
Intelligent understanding of the minutes, and 
are in themselves a valuable contribution to 
the history of the period. The MS. itself has 
survived all of these years because of the 
watchful care of Mr. Frey and of his forbears, 
the descendants of Major John Frey, the last 
known chairman of the committee. 

It is a matter of much regret that the last 
pages of the MS. are apparently forever lost, 
but after all the most interesting portion re- 
mains, the portion which deals with the prep- 
arations, civil and military, for the conflict in 

[xiv] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



the county. The record is not history so 
much as it is the bare recital of facts from 
which history and romance are made. It is 
hoped that the publication of these minutes 
will not only preserve something of value for 
the historian and antiquarian of the future, but 
that the reading of them will inspire a greater 
appreciation of the devotion to duty and of the 
high endeavor of the fathers, which made our 
Independence possible. 

To the inhabitants of the Valley, and of 
historic Tryon County may the minutes recall 
that 

" Here where the ghost-flower, blowing, 
Grows from the bones below. 
Patters the hare, unknowing, 
Passes the cawing crow : 
Shadows of hawk and swallow. 
Shadows of wind-stirred wood. 
Dapple each hill and hollow, 
Here where our dead men stood ; 
Wild bees hum through the forest vines 
Where the bullets of England hummed. 
And the partridge drums in the ringing pines 
Where the drummers of England drummed." 

J. HOWARD HANSON 



[XV] 



TO 

THE MEMORY OF THE PATRIOTS 

WHO LABORED AND FOUGHT FOR THE 

CAUSE OF AMERICAN LIBERTY 

IN TRYON COUNTY 



The Minute Book of the 
Committee of Safety 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Minutes of the Com- 
mittee of Safety 

County of ) 
Tryon^ SWi^tVt^^ the Brittlsh Parliament 

has lately passed an Act for raising a Revenue 
in America without the Consent of our Repre- 
sentative to abridging the Liberties and privi- 
leges of the American Colonies and therefore 
blocking up the Port of Boston; the Free- 
holders and Inhabitants of Palatine Dist.,^ in 
the County of Tryon aforesaid, looking with 
Concern and heartfull Sorrow on these Allarm- 
ing and calamitous Conditions, Do meet this 
27'.'' Day of August 1774. on that purpose at 
the house of Adam Loucks^ Esqf at Stonearabia,* 
and Concluded the Resolves following : Vizt. 

I.) That King George the Third is Lawful 
and Rightful Lord and Sovereign of Great 
Britain and the Dominions thereto belonging, 
and that as Part of his Dominions We hereby 
testify, that We will bear true Faith and Alle- 
giance unto him, and that we Will with our 
Lives and Fortunes support and maintain him 
upon the Throne of His Ancestors and the 



1st Meeting 



[■] 



[>] 



MINUTES OF THE 



just Dependence of these his Colonies upon 
the Crown of Great Britain — 

II.) That we think and consider it as our 
greatest Happiness to be governed by the Laws 
of Great Britain, and that with Chearfulness 
We will always pay Submission thereunto, as 
far as we consistently can, with the Security 
of the Constitutional Rights and Liberties of 
English Subjects, which are so sacred, that we 
cannot permit the same to be violated. — 

III.) That We think it is our undeniable 
Privilege to be taxed only with our own Con- 
sent given by ourselves (or by our Representa- 
tive). That Taxes otherwise laid and exacted 
are unjust and unconstitutional. That the 
Late Acts of Parliament declarative of their 
Right of laying internal Taxes on the Ameri- 
can Colonies are obvious Incroachment in the 
Rights and Liberties of the British Subjects 
in America — 

IV.) That the Act for blocking up the Port 
of Boston^ is oppressive and arbitrary, injurious 
in its principles and particularly oppressive to 
the Inhabitants of Boston, who we consider 
as Brethren suffering in the Common Cause. 

V.) That We will unite and join with the 
different Districts of this County, in giving 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



whatever Relief it is in our power to the poor 
distressed Inhabitants of Boston, and that we 
will join and unite with our Brethren of the 
Rest of this Colony in anything tending to sup- 
port and defend our Rights and Liberties — 

VI.) That we think the sending of Dele- 
gates from the different Colonies to a general 
Continental Congress is a Salutary Measure, 
and absolutely necessary at this alarming Crisis, 
and that we intirely approve of the five Gentle- 
men chosen Delegates ^ for this Colony by our 
Brethren of N. York, hereby adopting and 
choosing the same persons to represent this 
Colony at the Congress — 

VII.) That We hereby engage faithfully to 
abide by and adhere to such Restrictions and 
Regulations, as shall be made and agreed upon 
by the said Congress — 

VIII.) That we conceive it necessary, that 
there be appointed a standing Committee of 
this County, to correspond with the Commit- 
tees of N. York and Albany, and we do hereby 
appoint 

Christopher P. Yates '' — 
Isaac Paris ^ 
John Frey & ^ 
Andrew Finck junf^*' 

_ 



MINUTES OF THE 



who together with persons to be appointed by 
the other District of this County shall com- 
pose a Committee of Correspondence to con- 
vey the sentiments of this County in a Sett of 
Resolves to New York — 

IX.) It is voted by this meeting, that 
Copies of the proceedings of this Day Certi- 
fied by the chairman be transmitted to the 
Supervisors of the different Districts of this 
County. — And we recommend it to the 
Inhabitants of the said Districts to appoint 
persons, to compose also a Committee of 
Correspondence — 

II MEETING 

of Palatine District on Thursday the (early 
May) House of Adam Loucks Esq' — 



The Resolutions of the Meeting of the 27- 
Day of August were read and unanimously 
approved 

And an Association to the like purpose (was 
formed) as followeth : Viz! — 

Whereas the Grand Jury of this County, 
and a Number of the Magistrates have signed 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



a Declaration, declaring their Disapprobation 
of the just Opposition made by the Colonies 
of the oppressive and arbitrary Acts of the 
British Parliament, the purport of which is 
evidently to entail Slavery on America. And 
as the said Declaration may in some measures 
be looked upon as the Sense of the County in 
General, if the same be passed over in Silence : 
— We the Subscribers Freeholders and Inhabi- 
tants of the Said County, inspired with a sincere 
Love for our Country and deeply interested 
in the Common Cause, Do Solemnly Declare 
our fixed Attachment to and entire Approba- 
tion of the proceedings of the Grand Conti- 
nental Congress held at Philadelphia last Fall, 
and that We will strictly adhere and abide by 
the same. We do also solemnly declare and 
express our Confidence in the Wisdom and 
Integrity of the present Continental Congress, 
and that We will support the same to the ut- 
most of our power, and that we will Religiously 
and inviolably observe the Regulations and 
proceedings of that August Body — 

The following persons were appointed to be 
a standing Committee of this District, to cor- 
respond with the Committees of this and other 
Counties : Viz! I 

[5] 



MINUTES OF THE 



Christopher P. Yates' 
John Frey 
Isaac Paris 
Andrew Fink jf 
Andrew Reber^^ 
Peter Waggoner ^^ 



'Daniel MfDougain^ 
Jacob Clock 14 
George Eker junf ^^ 
Harmanus V. Slyck^^ 
Christopher W. Fox ^"^ 

, Anthony V. Fechten ^^ 



Which concluded the Business of this meet- 
ing- 
Ill. MEETING 

of the Palatine Committee May 19- 1775 



In the presence of the follow. Members 



Mefs? Yates ^ 




Mefsf Eker 


Frey 




Van Slyck 


Paris 


- 


Fox 


Finck 




Van Veghten 


Reher 













Christopher P. Yates was appointed chair- 



man. 



The Committee taking into their Consider- 
ation, the alarming State of the Province in 
general, and this County in particular, thought 
fit to write the following Letter to the Com- 
mittee of Albany, Viz' — 

We are so peculiarly circumstanced in this 
County relating to the present Struggle for 

— 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



American Liberty that we cannot longer defer 
laying the Situation of this County before You 
— The District, we represent, has been fore- 
most in avowing its attachment to Liberty and 
approving the Mode of Opposition adopted in 
America, and are now Signing an Association 
Similar to what has been signed in other Coun- 
ties in this Province. And we hope in a few 
Days to have the pleasure to transmit it down 
for the press. The County being extensive, 
it takes a considerable time, before the people 
who are favorable to the Cause can be got to 
sign, for we have caused Copies of the Asso- 
ciation to be dispersed in divers parts of the 
County. 

This County has for a series of Years been 
Ruled by one family,^^ the different Branches 
of which are still strenious in dissuading people 
from coming into Congressional Measures, and 
even have last Week at a numerous Meeting of 
the Mohawk District^'' appeared with all their 
Dependants armed to oppose the people from 
considering of their Grievances, their Number 
being so large and the people unarmed, struck 
Terror into most of them, and they dispersed. 
— We are informed, that Johnson Hall^^ is 
fortified by placing a parcel of Swivels round 



MINUTES OF THE 



(the same ;) and that Col. Johnson has had 
part of his (Regiment of Mihtia) under arms 
yesterday, no doubt with a design to prevent 
the friends of Liberty from publishing their 
attachment to the Cause to the World — Be- 
sides which we are told, that about 150 High- 
landers (Roman Catholicks) in and about 
Johnstown, are armed and ready to march 
upon the like Occasion. — We have been in- 
formed that Col Johnson has stopped two 
New England-Men and searched them, being 
we suppose, suspicious, that they came to sol- 
.licit aid from us or the Indians, who we dread 
most — there being a current Report through 
the County, that they are to be made use of 
in keeping us in Awe. — We recommend it 
strongly and Seriously to You, to take in your 
Consideration whether any powder and amuni- 
tion ought to be permitted to be sent up this 
Way, unless it is done under the Inspection 
of the Committee, and consigned to the Com- 
mittee here and for such particular Shop- 
keepers, as we in our next shall acquaint you 
of — We are determined to suffer none in our 
District to sell any, but such as we approve of 
and sign the association. — When anything 
particular comes to our knowledge relating to 

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FACSIMILE OF THE FIRST PAGE OF THE 
ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT OF THE MINUTES 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



the Indians, (whom we shall watch) or any 
other thing interesting, we shall take the eadi- 
est opportunity in communicating the same to 
You. And as we are a young County and 
remote from the Metropolis, We beg, you will 
give us all the Intellegince in your power — 

We shall not be able to send down any 

Deputies to the Provincial Congress, as we 

cannot obtain the Sense of the County soon 

enough, to make it worth our while to send 

any, but be assured we are not the less attached 

to American Liberty, for we are determined, 

altho' few in Number, to let the World see, 

who are, and who are not Such and to wipe 

off the indelible Disgrace brought on us by 

the Declaration signed by our Grand- Jury and 

some of our Magistrates, who in general are 

considered by the Majority of the County as 

Enemies to their Country. — In a word Gentl", 

it is our fixed Resolution to support and carry 

into Execution everything Recommended by 

the Continental and provincial Congress, and 

to be free, or die. 

We shall always be glad of your advice and 
assistance in Matters of Importance. — 

&c 

i7i 



MINUTES OF THE 



IV. MEETING 



of Palatine Committee — on Sunday^ the 21" 
May 1775 at the house of Philip W. Fox^ 



Mefs? Yates 
Paris 

Reber r 
Van Slyck 
Fox J 



Members present 

1 



Mefs? M^ Dougall 
Finck 
Waggoner 
Clock 



A Letter from the Mohawk Indians ^^ to the 
Oniedas, translated into the English Language 
was laid before the Committee. 

vide Letter page 

Also a Letter from Guy Johnson Esqf to the 
Magistrates of this County was read — 

vide Epist. p. 
Upon taking such Letters and the alarming 
and defenceless State of this County into their 
mature and Serious Deliberation, the Members 
came to the following Resolution unanimously, 
Viz!: — 

I.) That it is the Opinion of this Commit- 
tee, that the Indians, who signed the Letter, 
never would have presumed to write or send 
the same, if they had not been countenanced. 

__ 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



2.) That as we have unanimously adopted 
the proceedings of the Grand Continental Con- 
gress, and mean virtuously to support the same, 
so we feel and commiserate the sufferings of 
our Brethren in the Massachusetts Bay and 
other the Colonies in America, and that we 
mean never to submit to any arbitrary and 
oppressive Acts of any power under Heaven, 
or to any illegal and unwarrantable action of 
any Man or sett of Men. — 

3.) That as the whole Continent has ap- 
proved of the Actions and proceedings of the 
Massachusetts Bay and other of the Provinces 
of N. England, We do adopt and approve 
of the same. Wherefore we must and do 
consider, that any Fortification or armed Force 
raised to be made Use of against them is evi- 
dently designed to overawe us, and make us 
submit. — 

4.) That Co! Johnson's Conduct in Raising 
Fortifications round his house, keeping a 
Number of Indians and other armed men 
constantly about him, and stopping and search- 
ing Travellers upon the King's Highway, and 
stopping our Communication with Albany is 
very alarming to this County, and highly ar- 
bitrary illegal, oppressive and unwarrantable, 



MINUTES OF THE 



and confirms us in our Fears, that his Design 
is to keep us in awe, and to oblige us to Sub- 
mit to a State of Slavery. — 

5.) That as we abhor a State of Slavery, 
We do join and unite together under all the 
ties of Religion, Honor, Justice and Love for 
our Country, never to become Slaves, and 
to defend our Freedom with our Lives and 
Fortunes. — 



It is ordered by this Meeting, that the Chair- 
man writes a Letter to the Freeholders and 
Inhabitants of the Germanflatts, and King'sland 
Districts, to acquaint them of our Situation, 
and to Request them to unite with us in our 
Defence ; and that the same be Sent by 
Express — 

It is ordered, that a Letter be sent by Ex- 
press to the Committee of Albany — 

vide Epist. pag. 

V.^-5 MEETING — 

of the United Committees of Palatine, Cona- 
johary, King'sland ^^ and Germanflatts^ Dis- 
tricts on the 24- of May 1775 — ^^ ^^ House 
of William Seeber^^ in Conajohary District.^^ 

[77] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Christ. P. Yates 
John Frey 
Isaac Paris 
Andrew Fink jf 
Andrew Reber 
Peter Waggoner 
Daniel MiDougall 
Jacob Clock 
George Eker junf 
Harman V. Slyck 
Anthony V. Fechten^ 

Mr. Christopher P. 
Yates was appointed 
to be Chairman of 
this Body — 



Members present. 

Mefs" Nicholas Herckimer^^^ 
Ebenezer Cox^s 
David Cox 34 
William Seeber 
John Moore 35 
)■% John Pickert^s 

Edward Wall 37 
William Petry38 
Jacob Weaver 39 
Duncan M^Dougall «o j^^ 
Marcus Petry^^ 
John Petry ^2 
George Wents ^3 
John Franck** 
Frederick Fox*^ 
Augustinus Hess *^ 
Michael Ittig ^7 
Frederic Ahrendorf ^^ 
George Herckimer^^ 

Mr. chairman read the Resolutions, proceed- 
ings and Letters of Palatine Committee, which 
were unanimously approved of this Body, as 
the best Steps, they could take upon the very 
alarming News spread through the County. 

M' Wall laid before the Body the proceed- 
ings of the Germanflatts and King'sland Dis- 
tricts unitedly, together with speech delivered 
to the Oneida Indians ^ with their Reply. 

M! Chairman put the Question, and the 
same were unanimously approved of — 
mde Speech to the Ind- page 

nil 



MINUTES OF THE 



Resolved unanimously, that four Members of 
this Body be sent down to commune with the 
Committees of Albany and Schenectady upon 
the present Situation of America in general and 
this County in particular to obtain all the 

-ing Intelligence possible, 
and to buy such a Quantity of powder and 
flints and Lead, as they judge necessary, for 
the (payment) of which this Body will indem- 
nify them, which powder is to be sold under 
the Inspection of this Body and by such per- 
sons as this Committee shall appoint out of 
their Brethren. 

Ordered therefore, that Daniel M-Dougall 
for Palatine, David Cox for Conajohary, Ed- 
ward Wall and Duncan M-Dougall for the 
Districts of the Germanflatts and King'sland 
united, be sent down accordingly — 

It is resolved unanimously, that whereas the 
persons of some of the Members of this Com- 
mittee have been threatened with Imprison- 
ment on account of their being concerned in 
our just opposition, in which case we do asso- 
ciate and unite together, we will to the utmost 
of our power do our Endeavors by Force or 
otherwise to rescue them from Imprisonment, 
unless such person or persons are confined by 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 

legal process issued upon a legal ground and 
executed in a legal manner — 

It is ordered by the Body that nothing of 
what we have done or said at this Meeting or 
former Meetings of particular Committees of 
this County be divulged to any person what- 
ever unless it is to some one or more of this 
Committee, and until this Committee shall 
make an order to the Contrary. 

vide Committee s Oath page 

It is also Ordered that the next Meeting of 
this Committee shall be at the house of Wer- 
ner Tygert^^ at the Fall Hill, and so recipro- 
cally at the House of William Seeber and 
Werner Tygert — 



VI^ MEETING 

of the Palatine Committee on Monday the 
ig^} May 1775 at the House of William Seeber 
at Conajohary — 

Members present : 



Mefs? Yates ^ 




(-Mefs? Van Slyck 


Paris 




Clock 


Frey 


. 


Fox 


Van Veghten 




Eker 


Waggoner , 




Finck junf 



['J] 



MINUTES OF THE 



Visitors from the Committee of the Mohawk 
District. 



Mefs^f Adam Fonda ^2 

Volkert Vedder^^ 
Sampson Simmons ^^ 
John Marlatt^^ 
Abraham Yates ^^ 
Frederick Visgor^'' . 



who shewed sufficiently 
credentials of their being 
appointed Committee of 
'the Mohawk District. 



Visitor from the Committee of Conajohary 
M.\ William Seeber 

Resolved ^^ unanimously by this Committee, 
that it be Recommended to the Inhabitants of 
this District, and it is expected that no person 
or persons, or any other for or in their Behalf 
do or shall from this Day have any Dealings 
or other Connections in the Way of trade with 
any person or persons whatsoever, who have 
not signed the Association entered into by this 
District. Also Resolved, that every owner of 
Slaves and Servants do not permit them to 
absent themselves from home either by Night 
or Day, unless they be upon their Masters or 
Mistresses Lawful Business and with a Certifi- 
cate specifying such Business ; And Such per- 
sons, as do infringe or break through these 
two Resolutions will be dealt with as Enemies 
to the District and to their Country : And it is 




o 

CO 

o 

1 — > 

>^ 

O 

>A 
W 

o 
o 

o 

w 

o 
a: 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Requested of every Friend to this Country to 
take up and secure every Servant or Slave not 
having such Certificate — 

Ordered therefore that these Resolutions be 
published by the Clerk of the Committee at all 
the pubHck places in the District. 

This Committee taking into their Serious 
and Mature consideration the distressfull and 
calamitous Situation of the Inhabitants of the 
Mohawk District, and the Usage of 
particulars in said District, do sympathise with 
their Brethren in that District — Do Resolve 
to recommend to the next Meeting of the 
General Committee of the County to take Such 
Steps therein and Issue Such Orders to prevent 
anything of the kind for the future, as to them 
shall seem meet — 

VII. MEETING 

of the County Committee of all the Districts 
on Fryday the 2? of June 1775. at the House 
of Werner Tygert of Conajohary District — 

Members present from 

Palatine Kingsland ^ Germ". Jlatts 

Mefs? Isaac Paris Mefs? Edward Wall 

Christopher P. Yates William Petry 



[^] 



['7] 



MINUTES OF THE 




John Frey John Petry 
Andrew Finck j! Marcus Petry 




Andrew Reber Augustinus Hess 




Peter Waggoner Frederick Ahrendorf 




Daniel McDougal George Wents 




Jacob Clock Michel Ittig 
George Eker jun! Frederick Fox 




Harm! Van Slyck George Herkimer 




Christopher W. Fox Duncan McDougall 




Anthony V. Fechten Frederick HoUmer^^ 




_ , , John Franck 
Conajohary *' 

Nicholas Herckimer Mohawk 




Ebenezer Cox John Marlatt 
William Seeber John Bliven^^ 




John Moore ■ Abraham V. Horn ^ 




Samuel Campbell ^^ Adam Fonda 
Samuel Clyde ^^ Frederick Visher 




Thomas Henry ^^ Sampson Simons 
John Pickert^a William Schuyler 65 




Volkert Vedder 




James MfMaster ^6 




Daniel Lane^? 




It is Resolved by this Committee, that the 




following Letter™ be wrote to Guy Johnson 




Esq: Viz' 




We the United Committees of the Districts 




of Palatine, Conajohary, German flatts. Kings- 




land and of part of the Mohawk Districts '^^ beg 




Leave to acquaint you, that upon reading a 




Letter wrote in the Mohawk Dialect from 




some Mohawk Indians to the Onydas, which 




Letter, we were assured, was found on the 



[18] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Road and open added to some flying Reports 
spread a General Allarm in the Minds of the 
people, that the Indians would destroy the 
settlement along the Mohawk River, but upon 
perusing and considering a Letter from You to 
the Magistrates and Supervisors of the Upper 
Districts, intimating that you had appointed to 
have a general Congress with the six Nations 
this Spring, the fears of the people have in 
general subsided — 

According to the Example of the Counties 
in this and the Neighbouring Colonies the 
people of the Districts we represent, have 
met in a peaceable Manner considered of the 
present Dispute with the Mother Country and 
the Colonies signed a general Association and 
appointed us a Committee to meet, in order to 
consult the Common Safety of our Rights and 
Liberties, which are infringed in a most enor- 
mous manner by inforcing oppressive and un- 
constitutional Acts of the British parliament, by 
an armed force in the Massachusetts Bay. 

Was it any longer a Doubt, that we are 
oppressed by the Mother Country, and that it 
is the avowed Design of the Ministry to enslave 
us, we might perhaps be induced to use argu- 
ments to point out, in what particulars we 



MINUTES OF THE 



conceive that it is the Birthright of English 
Subjects to be exempted from all Taxes, except 
those, which are laid on them by their Repre- 
sentatives, and think We have a Right not only 
by the overruling Law of Selfpreservation, but 
by the Laws and Constitution of England to 
meet for the purpose, we have done. Which 
Meeting we probably would have postponed a 
while had there been the least kind of Proba- 
bility, that the Petition of the General Assem- 
bly would have been noticed more than the 
united petition of almost the Whole Continent 
of America by their Delegates in Congress, 
which so far from being any way complied with, 
was treated with Superlative Contempt by the 
Ministry, and fresh Oppressions were and are 
daily heaped upon us. — Upon which prin- 
ciples, principles which are undeniable, We 
have been appointed, to concert Methods to 
contribute what little lies in our power, to save 
our devoted Country from Ruin and Desola- 
tion, which with the assistance of Divine Provi- 
dence it is our fixed and determined Resolution 
to do, and if called upon. We shall be foremost 
in sharing the Toil and Danger of the Field. — 
We consider New England suffering in the 
Common Cause, and commiserate their dis- 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



tressed Situation ; and we should be wanting in 
our Duty to our Country and to ourselves, 
and to our Posterity, if we were any longer 
backward in avowing our Determination to the 
World — 

We know, that some of the Members of 
this Committee have been charged with com- 
pelling people to come into the Measures, 
which we have adopted and with drinking 
treasonable Toasts, but as we are convinced, 
that these Reports are false and malicious, 
spread by our Enemies with the sole Intent to 
lessen us in the Esteem of the World. And 
as we are conscious of being guilty of no 
Crime, and of having barely done our Duty, 
we are entirely unconcerned, as to anything, 
that is said of us, or can be done with us, we 
should however be careless of our Characters, 
did we not wish to detect the despicable Wretch, 
who could be so base as to charge us with 
things, which we never have entertained the 
most distant thought of. — 

We are not ignorant of the very great 
Importance of y' office as Superintendant of the 
Indians and therefore it is no more our Duty, 
than Inclination to protect You in the Dis- 
charge of the Duty of your proper Province 



MINUTES OF THE 



and we meet you with pleasure in Behalf of 
ourselves and our Contituents to thank you 
for meeting the Indians in the upper part of 
the County, which may be the Means of easing 
the people of the Remains of their Fears on 
their account, and prevent the Indians of com- 
mitting Irregularities on their Way down to 
Guy Park ; and we beg of You to use your 
Endeavors with the Indians to dissuade them 
from interfering in the Dispute with the Mother 
Country and the Colonies. — 

We cannot think, that as You and your 
Family possess very large Estates in this 
County, you are unfavorable to American 
Freedom, altho' you may differ with us, in the 
Mode in obtaining a Redress of Grievances. — 

Permit us further to observe, that We can- 
not pass over in Silence the Interruption, 
which the people of the Mohawk District met 
in their Meeting, which we are informed, was 
conducted in a peaceable Manner, and the in- 
human Treatment of a Man, whose only Crime 
was being faithful) to his Employers and refus- 
ing to give an account of the Receipt of certain 
papers to persons, who had not the least Colour 
of Right to demand anything of that kind. — 

We assure you, that We are much concerned 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



about it as two important Rights of English 
Subjects are thereby infringed, to wit, a Right 
to Meet, and to obtain all the Intelligence in 
their power — 

We likewise are obliged to observe, that the 
keeping of a constant armed Force about you 
is extremely unnecessary and greatly inflames 
the Minds of the people, which as we do not 
mean to molest or interrupt the peace of any 
person whatever, and as we are well assured 
from proper authority that the New England- 
ers never meant to come into this County to 
take you or any of your Family into Captivity, 
we Request You to Disperse, which will cer- 
tainly satisfy the people — 

The Stopping and Searching people travel- 
ling upon the Kings Highway, which every 
Man has a Right to use unmolested, altho' it 
has (as we are informed from good authority) 
happened frequently, we cannot yet persuade 
ourselves, that it hath been Countenanced by 
you, and think, has only been practised by 
persons, who were fond of giving themselves 
airs of importance, altho' illegally. — 

This Committee and every Member par- 
ticularly for himself assures you, that we have 
not, nor hath any one of us to our knowledge. 



MINUTES OF THE 



ever spoken or made Use of any unbecoming 
or malevolent Language of you or any of your 
Family — 

&c — 

It is Ordered, that Edward Wall, Peter Wag- 
goner, Nicholas Herkhimer, Adam Fonda and 
Frederick Fox be a Committee to wait upon 
Guy Johnson Esq' to deliver the same Letter, 
and request his answer,^^ and ask him, when to 
wait on him for his Answer, and request his ap- 
probation to appoint Sub-Committee to attend 
him at the Congress with the Indians — 
Resolved, that all Expences accrued in Each 
District shall be raised in such a manner, as 
the Committee of each District shall judge 
most expedient, and the Expenses made by 
the General Committee shall be equally divided 
among the different Districts, and raised by 
Subscription of our Constituents. 

Resolved, that the account of Mess? Edward 
Wall, Daniel M^Dougal, Duncan M^Dougal 
and David Cox, amounting to Twelve pounds 
be passed and allowed by this Committee. 

Resolved, that it be Recommended by this 
Body to the Committee of Palatine and Cona- 
johary Districts, to agree with one fit and able 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Man in each District, to be always ready to 
attend the Business of this Committee, as Oc- 
casion may Require, and that the Expence 
be a common Charge to the Whole — 

Resolved, that 26. Members, or more, when 
met, and the Chairman is absent, have power 
to appoint a Chairman pro-tempore out of the 
Members so met — Who is to Issue the Chair, 
whenever the Chairman appears — 

This Committee is adjourned untill to Mor- 
row Morning 8 oClock precisely — 

VIII. COUNTY COMMITTEE MEETING — 

according to adjournment on Saturday the 
3^ June 1775 — 

Mr Nicholas Herkheimer reported, that M' 
Wall and him had awaited upon Co! Johnson 
with the Letter of yesterday, who answered, 
that he would be ready to deliver his answer 
on Monday next — 

Ordered, that Nicholas Herkheimer, Au- 
gustinus Hess and WiUiam Petry be a Com- 
mittee to wait on Co! Johnson for his answer, 
which they after perusal are to transmit to the 
Chairman — 



MINUTES OF THE 



Ordered also, that the before ment? three 
persons be a Committee to attend the Congress 
with the Indf and to procure some able person, 
as an Interpreter, and make Report in Writing 
to the Chairman. — 



Resolved unanimously, that it is the Opinion 
of this Committee, as a very necessary Meas- 
ure, that the Subscribers of our Association 
embody themselves into Companies,^^ and ap- 
point proper officers. It is Recommended 
therefore to the Committee of each District, 
to carry the above Resolution into Effect with 
the greatest Expedition in such a manner, as 
they judge most proper, and make Report 
thereof to the next Meeting of this Body — 



IX. COUNTY COMMITTEE MEETING — 

on Sunday the ii- June 1775 at the house of 
Gose Van Alstyne.^* 

Members present from : 

Palatine Germanjiatts and King'sland 

Mefs'.» Christ' P. Yates Mefs? Edward Wall 

John Frey Duncan M-Dougall 
Isaac Paris Augustinus Hess 
Andrew Finck J"^. Frederick AhrendorfF 
Andrew Reber John Frank 
Peter Waggoner 

[Tel 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Daniel M'^Dougal 
Jacob Clock — 
Anthony V. Fechten 
George Eker 'f. 

Conajoh^ 

Nicholas Herkimer 
Ebenezer Cox 
William Seeber 
John Pickert 
Cunrad Pickert 



Mohawks 

John Marlatt 
Abraham V. Horn 
Adam Fonda 
Frederick Visher 
Abraham Yates 
Sampson Simons 
Volkert Vedder 



Upon Reading Letters from the provincial 
Congress of 31" May and 3? June 1775, rec- 
ommending therein the appointing of Deputies 
to meet in Congress — The Question being 
put, whether any should be sent down ? 

Which was carried in the Affirmative — 

This Committee having great Confidence in 
the Integrity and Abilities of Christopher P. 
Yates, and John Marlatt Do Resolve, that the 
said Christopher P. Yates and John Marlatt 
be appointed, and are accordingly appointed to 
be Deputies, to attend the Provincial Congress 
without Delay and to act in Conjunction with 
the Members of that Body upon the very 
alarming & calamitous Situation of British 
America — 

Resolved That it be Recommended, and 



MINUTES OF THE 



it is accordingly Recommended to the Sub 
Committee of each District with as much Dis- 
patch as possible to make perfect Lists of all 
the Freeholders and Inhabitants of their re- 
spective Districts : — That the General Asso- 
ciation be tendered to such, as have not signed 
it, and that exact Lists of such persons in each 
District, who shall refuse or neglect to sign 
the same, be Returned to this Committee by 
the first Day of July next, or sooner, in Order 
that the same be transmitted to the provincial 
Congress by the 15- Day of July next, or 
sooner — 

Nicholas Herkheimer was appointed to be 
Chairman pro tempore, and accordingly took 
the Chair — 



Resolved that on or before the Return of 
the Deputies of this County Ways and Means 
be devised to defray their Expences — 

Ordered, that this Committee meet again at 
the House of Gose Van Alstyne on the first 
day of July next, unless some Emergency 
should require its Meeting sooner — 

The Committee was adjourned accordingly — 

__ 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



X. MEETING — 

of the Committee of Conajohary District on 
the 15'? June 1775, at the house of William 
Seeber in said Dis! — 

In the presence of : 

Mefs? Nicholas Herkimer, Chairman 
William Seeber 

This Meeting was, to have a Review of the 
associated Freeholders and Inhabitants of this 
Dis! who, after having been formed into Com- 
panies of Militia, have chosen their officers, 
agreeable to Regulations of our Provincial 
Congress — 

And after Such performance concluded the 
Business — 

XL MEETING — 

of the Palatine Committee on the 16^} June 
1775, at the house of Jacob Clock in the said 
District — 

In the presence of: — 

Mefs? Nicholas Herkimer, Chairman. 
John Eisenlord''^ Clk. 
Jacob Clock — 

At this meeting the associated Freeholders 
& Inhabitants of this Dis! along the Moh!" 



MINUTES OF THE 




River were upon Notice assembled, and have 




also, after having been formed in Companies, 




choose their Officers — 




and thereby concluded the Business of this 




Meeting — 




XII. MEETING — 




of the Committee of Germanflatts and King's- 




land Districts on the 17- June 1775. At the 




house of Frederick Fox in King'sland Dist! — 




Members present from : 




Mefs'.* Nicholas Herkheimer Chair? 
John Eisenlord Clk 




Kin^sland Germi jlatts 




Mefs'' Michel Ittig 

Augustinus Hess 
Frederick Fox 
John Franck 
George Herkheimer 
George Wents 
Fredl? Ahrendorf ^ 


< 


'Mefs^s Duncan M?DougaIl 
Edward Wall 
William Petry 
Frederick Hellmer 
Jacob N. Weaver 
John Petry 


The associated Freehol 


ders and Inhabitants 




this Day assembled have been mustered, but 




the regular forming them into Companies 




of Militia and the choosing of Officers was 




postponed — 



[30] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



By this Meeting a Number of people of 
both Districts — which were not yet associ- 
ated, have voluntarily signed the association ; 
And in particular Mefs'f Rudolph Shoemaker, 
Jost Herkheimer jun!'^^ and John Thomp- 
son,^^ who have last Spring joined with the 
Grand Jury of our County, and subscribed 
their Names to their Declaration, have this 
Day also associated themselves with us in the 
manlier following : — 

County Tryon ss — We the subscribers. 
Respective Freeholders of the said County, 
do hereby solemnly declare, and acknowledge 
the same on our Oaths, when Required that 
we will support our American Liberties to the 
utmost of our power in Company and asso- 
ciation with our Neighbors and Fellow Free- 
holders of our said County. 

Given under our hands this 17*? Day of 
June 1775. 

Rudolph Shoemaker 
Joost Herkimer junf 
John Thompson — 

The Question was put to all those, who 
signed at this meeting respectively the associ- 
ation and the last mentioned particular Decla- 
ration, Whether they had signed by Motives of 



MINUTES OF THE 



Force or Fear, and being assured that they 
were in no Danger, in case they should refuse 
— And in answer thereupon — They jointly 
& severally declared, that they acted of their 
own free Will and Accord — 



Mr. Edward Wall, a member of the German- 
flatts Committee, begged to be excused in serv- 
ing any longer in that office and for sufficient 
Reason it was Ordered that he shall be dis- 
charged — 



XIII MEETING — 

of the County Committee on the 29- Day of 
June 1775. at the house of Frederick Bel- 
linger ^ in Germanflatts Dist! — 

Members present from : 

Mefs? Nicholas Herkimer Chair? 

This Meeting extraordinary was occasioned 
by the Sachems and Warriors of the Oneyda 
and Tuscarora Indians,^^ who were assembled 
this Day afores? at the house above ment? to 
hold a Congress with our Committee, joined 
by two deputised Members from the Com- 
mittee of Schenectady, and four Members of 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



the Albany Committee, concerning our Coun- 
try's Cause. 

Several Speeches were mutually passed, and 
with agreeable assurances they said Nations 
renewed and confirmed peace and true Friend- 
ship with us, as Brothers, and also promised 
their zealous Endeavour to unite their Brothers 
of the Six Nations in ahke Manner — 
vide speech page 

Marcus Ittig and William Cunningham ^^ 
appeared before this Board, and gave their 
Affidavits, concerning Guy Johnson's malevo- 
lent Insinuations to the Indians of our Ameri- 
can Cause — 

vide Affid. page 



The said Sachems and Warriors shewed their 
hearty Thanks for the kindnesses and generosi- 
ties, they Received of this Board, and of the 
Freeholders of both Districts in particular, and 
before their Adieu Recommended to us, that 
we should not neglect to shut (in their manner 
of speaking) the Gate at Fort Stainwix, that 
nothing might pass and repass to the hurt of 
our Country — They further assured us, to 
communicate to us all the Remarkable News 



[3] 



Izz^ 



MINUTES OF THE 



and Intelligences they can get in Regard to 
these present Troubles, and desired the Same 
of us Reciprocally — 

This Congress continued till to the 2? Day of 
July a. c. when these Nations contentedly and 
peaceably departed for their Respective Castles 
— Therefore the County Committee Meeting 
limited in the last meeting of the ii- June, 
to be held on the i- Day of July must be 
postponed to the 3~ of July Inst! and it [is 
also Ordered to meet on that Day at the ap- 
pointed house of Gose Van Alstyne. 



XIV. MEETING — 

of the County Committee on the 3"! Day of 
July 1775. at the house of Gose Van Alstyne 
in Conaj. D'ist\ 

Members present 

Mefs" Nichol. Herkimer ch. 
John Eisenlord Clk. 

Palatine Conajohary 

Mefs? John Frey /Mefs? W? Seeber 

Isaac Paris \ Ebenezer Cox 
Harman*. V. Slyck 

[17] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Peter Waggoner 
George Eker j! 
Andrew Finck jr 
Andry Reber 



Mohawks 

rAdam Fonda 
i Sampson Simons 
IVolkert Vedder 



King^sland i^ jlatts 



jAugustinus Hess 
XFred*? Helmer 



The petition of the Settlers in N. German- 
town/^ containing their forming themselves 
into a Company of Militia under their chosen 
Officers was granted — 

vide ■petition page 

Upon Receipt of two Letters of the 2? & 3? 
July inst! from Mr. John Bliven, a Member 
of the Mohawk's Committee where in he in- 
forms this Board, that the Mayor of Albany, 
Abraham C. Cuyler, being suspicious as a Tory 
against the American Liberties made his En- 
deavors to escape from Albany with a con- 
siderable Quantity of some sort of effects and 
perhaps ammunition or other Warlike Stores, 
this Committee consulted upon the Matter, 
and upon further Intelligence, that the said 
Mayor passed in a Battoe well loaded already 
the District of Palatine, thought proper to 
send a party to stop and examine him and his 

__ 



c^ide Letters 
[page 



MINUTES OF THE 

Effects, and it is therefore unanimously Re- 
solved & Ordered That Capt. George Herk- 
heimer with a sufficient party shall immediately 
execute said Orders and if any suspicious 
Letters or Warlike stores shall be found with 
said Mayor, to take the Same in possession and 
send Him & his Battoe back — 

Cap? George Herkheimer after having per- 
formed the orders of him Requested, Reports, 
that by perusing the Letters which the said 
Mayor carried along in his Journey to Mon- 
treal, he found nothing suspicious, nor any 
Contents in Regard to our American Troubles. 
The Battoe of said Mayor was also Searched, 
and no ammunition, nor any Warlike Stores 
found, therefore permitted to pass on his 
Journey. 

The associated Settlers at Fort Stainwix^^ 
represented to this Committee their dangerous 
Situation of abodes, being few in Number and 
daily exposed to an Invasion of the Frontiers, 
desiring a sufficient guard to be posted there 
at the said Fort, alledging also the opinion 
and advice of the Oneyda Indians, as their 
nigh Neighbors, that the gate at Fort Stainwix 
ought to be shut, to prevent all pernicious 

[36} 



\ 



y~'\ 



CA^!^D^ 




MAP OF TRYON COUNTY 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



passing and repassing of Enemies to the Coun- 
try — It is Resolved & ordered, that these 
Circumstances and Requests shall be commu- 
nicated to the Committee of Schenectady, in 
order to send a party of abo! loo. Men to the 
said post, as judged beneficial and a safeguard 
to this Country — 

vide Letter page 

Resolved and Ordered that our Delegate by the 
provincial Congress in N. York, Mr. Christo- 
pher P. Yates, shall be acquainted of some or 
our proceedings worthy of Remark, and to Re- 
quest him for Militia Orders to procure the 
same, if not passed in the house already — 

vide Letter page 
A list of such persons Names, who refused 
or neglected to this Day, to sign^* the associa- 
tion, within the Distr? of Palatine, Conajohary, 
Germanflatts and King'sland, and a Return 
thereof sent to our said Delegate, according to 
a Resolve passed in our County Committee 
Meeting held the ii- June 1775. at the house 
of Gose Van Alstyne — 

vide Return page 
Resolved, that the Committee of Palatine 
and Conajohary Districts shall meet on the 

— - 



MINUTES OF THE 



lo'? July next at the house of Jacob Clock in 
Palatine to hold a Congress with the Indians 
of the Conajohary Castles — 



XV. MEETING — 

of the Committee of Palatine & Conajohary 
Districts on the lo^ July 1775. ^^ ^^® house 
of Jacob Clock in Palatine — 

Members present : 

Mefs? Nich? Herkimer chair." 
John Eisenlord, Clk. 

Palatine Conajohary 

Mefs? John Frey Mefs? Ebenezer Cox 

Isaac Paris William Seeber 

Peter Waggoner 
AndrT Reber 
Jacob Clock 
Harmf V. Slyck 
George Eker jf 

At the Request of the Sachems and Warriors 
of the Indians in the Conajohary Castles,^ 
This Committee met to hold a Congress with 
them, in regard to our present Troubles and 
their Concern about the same — 

Speech page \ 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



The said Indians, upon an address to them 
from this Committee interpreted by Mrs. 
Peggy Johnson, the Wife of Thariachyako 
Johnson (an Indian of the said Castles) answered 
in a long Speech, assuring us of their true 
Friendship and to be entirely neuter in the 
present Controversies of America with the 
Mother Country — 

The Freeholders and Inhabitants of both 
Districts have been very generous and liberal, 
in tributing to the said Indians a considerable 
present of flower, pease Ind" Corn, Bread, 
pork and money — wherefore the said Indians 
shewed their hearty Thanks to the Com- 
mittee — And — 

The next ensuing Day, on the ii- July inst* 
they, the said Sachems and Warriors, made 
another Speech to us, under the same assur- 
ances of peace and Brothership, as above ment? 
and therewith conclud-ed the Business of this 
Meeting — 

XVI. MEETING — 

of the Committees of Palatine and Conajahary 
Districts on Thursday the if^ July 1775. at 
the house of Gose Van Alstyne — 

[39I 



MINUTES OF THE 



Members present : 
M.\ Christopher P. Yates, chair" 

Palatine • Conajohary 

Mefs" John Frey Mefs? John Moore 

George Eker jun^ Ebenezer Cox 

Andry^ Reber Samuel Campbell 

Jacob Clock David Cox 

Peter Waggoner W2? Seeber 

Harm! V. Slyck John Pickert 
Andr. Finck 
Daniel M?Dougal 

This Committee taking under Consideration 
the Necessity of Administring an Oath of Se- 
crecy to the Members of this Committee. — 
Do Resolve, that the following Obligation be 
administered to every Member of the Same 
Committee. 

vide Committee Oath p. 

Ordered, that the following Letter be wrote 
to the Committee of Schenectady and Albany ; 
Vizt — 

M! Ebenezer Cox informed this Board, that 
M: Peter S. Tygert^^ told this Informant, that 
he was informed by a person, who we have 
Reason to think, has it from good authority, 
that Co! Johnson was ready with 800. or 900. 
Indians to make an Invasion of this County, 

_— 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



that the same Indians were to be under the 
Command of Joseph Brand^^ and Walter But- 
ler/^ and that they were to fall on the Inhabi- 
tants below the Little Falls, in order to divide 
the people in two parts, and were to march 
yesterday, or the Day before ; Cap! Jacob 
Clock informed this Board, that this Morn- 
ing about an hour before day three Indians 
of Fort Hunter ^^ came to his House from 
Oswego in their Way home, that he was in- 
formed by a free Negroman, a serv* of him, 
that they had each a Bag of powder on their 
horses, that they staid about an hour and then 
went off. — From these and other concomi- 
tant Circumstances, We have but too much 
Reason to think, it is true, and that all our 
Enemies in this County will appear in arms 
against us, as soon as the Indians are nigh to 
us, which from the above Information we must 
expect in a few Days — 

We have sent off a party of people by Way 
of a Scout, to find out, if possible, the Rout 
of the Indians, and to give us early Intelli- 
gence — Our ammunition is so scant that 
We cannot furnish three hundred Men so as 
to be able to make a Stand against so great 
a Number — 



MINUTES OF THE 



In these deplorable Circumstances We look 
up to You for assistance both in Men and Am- 
munition, to save this County from Slaughter 
and Desolation, which We beg you will not be 
backward to afford us as soon as possible — 

We have ordered some of our Companies 
up towards the Little Falls,®" who are to keep 
scouting parties out ; And we intend to keep 
sitting until such Time, as we can be convinced 
of our Safety. — This is the more alarming to 
us, as we shall be obliged in a few days to 
begin with our harvest. Men are therefore 
absolutely necessary — 

We beg of you to forward this by Express®-^ 
to Albany & Copies from these to the provin- 
cial Congress and to General Schuyler — 

&•= 

Ordered, that the above so far as it relates 
to the Name of the person who gave M! 
Tygert the Intelligence, be kept a profound 
Secret — 



Resolved, that necessary Orders in that Con- 
cern be sent immediately to the Captains — 

Adjourned till tomorrow morning at lo. 
o'clock at the house of W? Seeber in Conajo- 
hary Dis* — 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



XVII. MEETING — 

of the Committees of the Mohawks, Palatine 
& Conajohary Districts, according to adjourn- 
ment on the 14* July 1775. at the house of 
William Seeber in Conajohary Disd — 

Members present : 

Mefs";^ Nicholas Herkimer chair^ p. t. 
Christopher P. Yates Char5. 



Palatine 
Mefs" Daniel M'Dougal 
Jacob Clock 
Peter Waggoner 
Harm? V. Slyck 
AndrY Reber 
AndY Finckj^ 
George Eker j^ 



Conajohary 
Mefs''^^ Ebenezer Cox 
Samuel Clyde 
Samuel Campbell 
W'? Seeber 

Mohawks 
Sampson Simons 
Adam Fonda 
Volk' Vedder 
Daniel Lane 



Resolved, that the following Order be given to 
Ebenezer Cox, who is appointed by this Com- 
mittee, to have the Command of the Companies 
of Palatine & Company — 

vide order page. 



Ordered that Direction be given to the Mem- 
bers of this Committee, who reside in Cherry 
Valley and places adjacent — 

concerning this Ind'^ alarm — 



MINUTES OF THE 



Adjourned till the Morrow Morning at the 
house of Werner Tygert at the Fall hill — 



XVIII. MEETING — 

of the above ment^ Districts according to ad- 
journment on the 15- July 1775. at the house 
of Werner Tygert — 

Members present : 

Mefs? [Nicholas Herkimer chair"^ p. t.1 
\Christopher P. Yates chair" J 

Palatine Mohawks 

Mefs? Isaac Paris Mefs? Adam Fonda 
Jacob Clock Volk! Vedder 

AndrT Finck ]\ John Bliven 

Daniel M^Dougall Ws Schuyler 

Peter Waggoner Abrsi V. Horn 



Conajohary 

David Cox 
W™ Seeber 



James M'iMaster 



M' Peter S. Tygert was called in and made 
his Deposition of the Information, he had of 
the Invasion of Indians — 

vide Depos. page 

Major Ten Broeck^^ was sent for, to give an 
account of his Conduct since the first Day of 
April last made his Declaration voluntarily — 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



vide Ten Broeck's oblig. p. 

Ordered, that a Letter be sent to the provin- 
cial Congress, containing the Declining of the 
Officers appointed for a Companie to be raised, 
— to Recommend instead — 



Christopher P. Yates, as Capt^ 
as Lieut^ 



John Kayser ]^^ 1 

r 



AndrY Finck ]'. 



vide Letter page 

Received answers from the Schenectady and 
Albany Committees dated this Ins! day upon 
the Letter sent to them from us, dated July 13 
1775 — together with 150 lb of powder from 
Albany at £iS- pr C! — and 300^''' lead from 
Schenectady at 40 / pr C! — 

vide Letters page 

Received two Letters from M! Ebenezer 
Cox, Commander of Several Companies of 
Militia, containing some Reports from his 
post — 

vide Letters page 

Adjourned till the next morning the 16'^ 
July at the same house of Werner Tygert — 

— 



MINUTES OF THE 



Letter page] 



XIX. MEETING — 

of the Committees on the other side mentioned 
in the house of said Werner Tygert on the 
16*? July 1775 according to adjournment. 

Received a Letter of M' John Eisenlord, 
containing a Report of his Scouting party sent 
out according to orders — 

Ordered, that Cap! John Retry ^* shall be 
sent to Albany under a guard with a Letter 
containing his Misconduct — 
vide Letter page 



Concluded the Business of these Meetings — 

XX. MEETING 

of the Committees of Palatine and Conajohary 
Districts on the 12'? of August 1775. at the 
house of WiUiam Seeber — 

Members present : 

Mefs? Nichols Herkimer, Chairm" 
John Eisenlord, Clk. 

Palatine Conajohary 

Mefs? John Frey Mefs? Ebenezer Cox 
Isaac Paris Whi Seeber 

Peter Waggoner John Pickert 

Daniel MfDougall Samuel Clyde 

Andr- Reber Samuel Campbell 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Harm! V. Slyck 
Jacob Clock 



Conrad Pickert 
David Cox 



Ordered, that advertisements be put on the 
most publick places from Carogue Creek^^ to 
N. Germantown included within the Palatine 
District, to elect two New Members of Com- 
mittee for said Palat. Dist^ on Fry day the lo^ 
Aug'.' instant at the house of Charles Gordon, 
near the Canada Creek ^^ — 



Ordered, to be Sent a letter to the provincial 
Congress in N. York for Instructions and 
Regulations, how to act in Military and civil 
Matters against the Enemies of Association and 
the Transgressors of our Orders ; and how to 
defray the Expenses necessary for the Common 
Cause within our County — 

Joseph Meby®^ appeareth, who has been 
accused to engage and Stir up Indians, to 
rescue Cap! John Petry, being sent prisoner 
for Misconduct to Albany, and acknowledgeth 
before this Board, to have acted entirely wrong, 
and beggs to be exscused for this first fault, — 
Which upon his promise of Sincerity and future 
good Behaviour towl the Association and in 
particular to this Committee, was granted and 
he discharged — 



[47] 



MINUTES OF THE 



Resolved & Ordered that a General Meeting 
of all the Committees of this County shall be 
held on Fry day the 23'! Inst' at the house of 
Gose Van Alstyne in Conajohary District, and 
therefore Letters to be sent by the Clk. for 
Notice — 



XXI. MEETING — 

of the County Committee on Fry day the 25- 

of August 1775. at the house of Gose Van 

Alstyne — 

Members present : 

Mefs? Nicholas Herkimer, Chair"! 
John Eisenlord, Clk — 



Palatine 



Mefs? John Frey 

Andrew Reber 
Peter Waggoner 
Daniel M^-Dougal 
Jacob Clock 
Harmf V. Slyck 
George Eker j! 
Anthony V. Fechten 

Conajohary 

Ebenezer Cox 
David Cox 
W"? Seeber 

[48] 



Mohawks 

Mefs''? Fred"^ Visher 
Volk^. Vedder 
Adam Fonda 
Samson Simon 
John Bliven 
W" Schuyler 
Abraham V. Horn 
Abraham Yates 



G.flatts & King'sland 

Augustinus Hess 
Michel Ittig 
Frederick Ahrendorf 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



John Moore 
Samuel Campbell 
Samuel Clyde 
Henry Heints ^^ 



William Petry 
Henry Harter 



Resolved, and agreed unanimously, that the 
following new Chosen Members by the Free- 
holders and Inhabitants of Palatine District, 
joining the Old ones, agreeable to a late adver- 
tisement dated the 12^ inst! And also all the 
Several old Members, who have not taken 
the Oath as Committee, shall be Sworn by the 
Oath prescribed in the 5- Meeting — 

Sworn this day NB. Old members not yet sworn 

Anthony V. Fechtenl ,,1^ ^ Fred'^ Hellmer 



Abraham Yates y 

John Eisenlord 
Christian Nelles 99 
Wi2 Fox junr 100 I 
John J. Clock 101 J 



newmembersy 



iKing's- 

John Demoothi02j land 

j George Herkheimer] 
) John Franck los I 
Fredf Fox iw J 

Cunrad Pickertjconajoharjr 



G. 

flatts 



Affidavits, 

Concerning the Case happened the 25- June 
last past between John Fonda of the Mo- 
hawk's Dist! and a Servant of the SheriiF 
Alexand! White^o^ — 

John Kinton appeareth as an Evidence in 
this Case and upon Oath Saith, that as he was 
plowing upon John Fonda's Land, Saw the 



[4] 



[49] 



MINUTES OF THE 



Servant of the Sheriff Alexander White named 
Thomas Hunt, coming through said Fonda's 
Land with a brushsith ^°^ upon his Shoulder, 
and meeting said John Fonda with an hoe, 
who did forbid said Thomas to walk through 
his Land but to use the footpath along the 
fence, as he cannot pass his Land without do- 
ing damage, having got these meadow ground 
and pease sowed. The said Thomas replied 
upon, that he would go through that Land in 
Spite of said Fonda. — The Depon! also saw 
them both taking hold of one another but not 
Strike and among other threatning and scold- 
ing Words the Dep! heard Thomas Hunt say, 
that he would be the Death of Said Fonda, 
and afterwards he saw John Fonda turning 
homewards — 

John Fonda ^°'^ appeareth and on Oath de- 
clareth that he going homewards from howing 
Corn, the Servant of the Sheriff White, named 
Thomas Hunt, going over his Land, where 
meadow ground and pease was Sowed. He for- 
bid him, the said Serv! not to make a Road 
through his Land to his Damage, but to use the 
footpath along the fence. The said Thomas 
would not follow his said Fonda's Orders, but 
on the Contrary tried to resist Spitefully, and in 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



particular took up his Brushsith to strike Fonda, 
whereupon Fonda for his Defence gave him a 
blow with his hoe, and knocked him down. 
After this the said Thomas used the Deponent 
very ill with scolding and threatning, especially 
expressed himself in these words, that he would 
be the Death of him the said Fonda, but 
Fonda left him and went his Way home. 

This is the Case, wherefore Said Fonda was 
arrested and put to our County GoaP°^ by 
the Sheriff White — 

Adjourned till to Morrow — 



XXII. MEETING — 

According to adjournment on Saturday the 
26'^ Aug=! 1775. at the said Van Alstyne's 
house — 

The same Members present as yesterday : 



Resolved and agreed unanimously by this 
County Committee, That i ) All Disorders and 
Disobediences of Non Commissioned Officers 
and private Soldiers shall be punished by the 
Officers of their respective Companies, by in- 
flicting fines according to the Acts of our as- 



M I N U T E S O F THE 



sembly therefore provided, and recovered the 
same by distraining the Goods and Chattels 
of the Transgressors, if any to be got, but in 
Default of goods & chattels such Transgressor 
shall be brought before the Committee of his 
District, by which he shall be sentenced. — And 
this Resolve shall be in Force, until We shall 
be provided with a Militia Act from the pro- 
vincial Congress — 

2.) If any Disputes or other Misdemeanors in 
Civil Matters should arise among Neighbors, 
Freeholders, Inhabitants and Residents within 
our County, the same shall be determined and 
decided by three Members of Committee of 
such District, where the case shall exist. But 
if the Members are too Distant, then by 
One of the Committee and a Jury of Six 
Freeholders chosen by the parties themselves, 
or if the parties cannot agree upon, chosen 
by the said Member of the Committee within 
such District, where the Disputes and Dis- 
orders arose, the Case not exceeding ^5. — 
N. York's Currency — 

3.) The Damages and forfeitures, as well as 
the Costs of Suit by such Tryals Shall be re- 
covered in manner above provided in the first 
Resolve — 

_ 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



4.) The Officers of each Companie of Militia 
within our County first chosen and elected are 
confirmed to keep their Offices and Respective 
Appointments, and shall be obeyed as such by 
their respective Companies — according to the 
Return delivered to the Committee — 
5.) The Constables already appointed shall pay 
Obedience to the Orders of the Committee — 
6.) The Officers chosen at the first Meeting 
of N. Germantown for a Company of Militia 
in that precinct be established as the Right 
Ones, and all the other Meetings and Votings 
be void and of no Effect. Viz' — 

The Same, which those Settlers of that place 
have nominated in their petition delivered to 
the General Committee in the Meeting 

are hereby confirmed, as 

John Eisenlord — Cap! 
John Kayser — V- Lieu! 
Adam Bellinger ™ — 2^ Lieut. 
John Smith ^ — Ensign — 

7.) The said Companie formed shall begin at 
Jacob "Staring's "^ included, and take in all the 
Inhabitants from 16 to 50 Years of Age on 
the North side of the highroad to Cunrad 
Pickert's, Thence all the Inhabitants of N. 
Germantown of the ages above ment!^ and 

Tsn 



MINUTES OF THE 



extend so far in SI W— Johnson's Deceased 
Settlement,"^ until the Companie amounts to 
60. private Men, the Sergeants & Corporals 
included — 

8.) The following persons are nominated by 
the Majority of Votes, as Field Officers for 
each respective District — 

Vizi 

Conajohary Palatine 

1 5! Colonel Nicholas Heikheimer 
Lieu! Coil Ebenezer Cox 
Major — Robert Wells H* — 
Adju' — Samuel Clyde — 



S Col! Jacob Clock 
w Lieu! Co; Peter Waggoner 
''I Major-Harm? V. Slyck 
•^ Adj ut! Anthony V. Fechten 



Mohawk's King'sland & G. flatts 



Col' Frederick Fisher 
Lieu'. Col Adam Fonda 
Major — John Bliven 
Adju'. Robert Yates 



Col Hanyoost Herkheimer 115 
Lieu* Co! Peter Bellinger 116 
Major Hanyoost Shoemaker 117 
Adj'. — John Demooth 109 



By the Majority of another Voting of this 
Committee, Colonel Nicholas Herkheimer, Esq. 
is appointed Chief Colonell & Commander 
for the County of Tryon — 



Resolved, That each Committee of a District 
shall nominate their respective pathmasters, to 
make and keep in Repair the highroads "^ — 
Resolved, That a Memorial shall be sent to 
Major General Schuyler"^ at Ticonderoga,*^*' 

__ 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



for a couple Companies Militia under his 
Command to secure our exposed frontiers. 

Upon an Enquiry of the proceedings in 
Regard to an advertisement ^^^ dated the 2,8- 
July last put on by Christopher P. Yates Esq! 
as Chairman of this Committee, — It was found 
proved by the Examination and Declaration of 
each Member in particular of the Palatine Com- 
mittee at this Meeting that the Same was per- 
formed without the Consent or Consult of the 
Major part of the Committee, and therefore 
Resolved unanimously, that the said advertise- 
ment was put on illegally, and therefore of no 
Value — 

EXAMINATIONS AND AFFIDAVITS — 

concerning the Threatnings of Alexander 
White, late Sheriff for our County — 

JMajor Jelles Fonda,^^^ upon Examination de- 
1 of the Mh'^= } poseth and saith on oath, that he 
heard the Sheriff say oftentimes, that he would 
fight for his King and Country with his asso- 
ciation and the party on the King's Side like a 
brave Man, and swore to be Sure, that they 
would conquer, but the party on the Coun- 
try's side do fight with the halters on their 

— — 



MINUTES OF THE 



Necks. — He also heard him many times de- 
clare, that he hopes to have the pleasure of 
hanging a good Many yet for their Resistance 
against the Acts of Parliament and further 
saith not — 

John Vedder^^^ upon Oath deposeth and saith, 
(d°) that he heard the Sheriff often say, 
that the King's people fight for Glory, but 
the Country doth fight with the halters on 
their Necks ; And that an Army is a coming 
down from Canada, and they will pick out the 
houses and further saith not — 



William Wallace^^* under Oath deposeth and 
(d°) saith, that the Sheriff White did one 
Day at John Vedder's publickly say — The 
Estates of the Country here are all forfeited, 
especially pointing upon Adam Fonda and 
Sampson Simons, and the people will be hanged, 
and further saith not — 



William Seeber under Oath Saith, that on a 
of Conajohary I certain day in the Beginning of 
May last abo! 9. o Clock in the Night came 
Wl Johnson^^ (the Indian) another Indian and 
Sheriff White in the Deponent's house, called 
for Liquor, and the Sheriff immediately en- 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



quired for the Answer upon a Letter, which 
the Deponent Rec"! of Cof Claus that same 
Day, and insisted upon that answer till the 
next Morning, and further said with many 
Curses, that if he had been here this day by 
signing the Association he would have shot 
some of 'em through their hearts, and the Rest 
he would have carried away to the Westward, 
to be hanged there. Upon which the Depon- 
ent's Son, Jacob Seeber ^^^ did reply, that it was 
not such an easy Matter to do that ; Where- 
upon the SheriiF got his pistol, cocked it and 
presented it to the Breast of said Jacob, say- 
ing: You d . . . d Rebell, if you say one 
Word more, I '11 blow your Brains out, and 
the Indians had Swords and knives in their 
hands, but notwithstanding it was no hurt 
done, as said Jacob made himself out of their 
Sight, and further saith not — 

Anthony Van Fechten under Oath deposeth 
and saith, that When he was at Johnson 
Hall last Month to get the Sheriff, the said 
Sheriff did with many extraordinary Curses, 
declare to the Deponent, that h'e 11 have to 
hang a good many yet of this County before 
long — 

[57] 



MINUTES OF THE 



The same Deponent further declareth on 
Oath, that on the same Day, being the 21'.' of 
July last he heard Peter Bown standing at the 
front Door of Johnson Hall express himself in 
those Words to him the Dep! — We have as 
good Men among us, as you have, and we will 
shew you the same : And further saith not — 

EXAMINATIONS & AFFIDAVITS AG^r 
LEWIS CLEMENT 127 _ 

Major Jellis Fonda appeareth and Saith under 
Oath, that at the Time when Lewis Clement 
returned from Guy Johnson of Oswego, the 
said Clement expressed himself, that he has 12. 
guns at home, & therewith could and would 
Sweep perhaps soon a good part of Kachana- 
wago, at least with his family for his part, 
which the Deponent shall see very soon — 

Lewis Clement * appeareth & under Oath 
declareth, that on Monday the 24- of July 
last in the Night he met Lewis Clement with 
4. Indians and i. Squah and i. Indian Boy 
going towards Sacontago for a Convoy of the 
Sheriff White, who did curse & Swear, and 

* This is an error in the entry. The deponent was Lodo- 
wick Putman (Potman). 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Saying to the Deponent: Is it not a pity, that 
I being a Man of a good Estate must go and 
leave the same for sake of these d . . . d Fon- 
das, but I shall soon make up a good Number 
of Indians, and return with them to destroy 
and ruin such people all here about, but you, 
(meaning said Potman) have nothing to fear, 
because you abide in a safe place, which (being 
near Johnstown) shall not then be hurted. — 

EXAMINATION & AFFIDAVIT OF 
NICHOLAS ZESSINGER 

concerning Adam Loucks Esq'of Stonearaby — 



Nicholas Zessinger appeareth, and on Oath 
deposeth, that last Sunday before the Church 
at Stonearaby there was a Discourse abo* the 
present Troubles, and he the Deponent heard 
Adam Loucks -^^^ say, that it is yet possible the 
King may get the Victory over the Country, 
and upon some Replies of the people about 
him, he the said Adam Loucks further said, 
that within a fortnight you will see a great 
Confusion here among the people, and thinks, 
the people will yet Kill one another themselves, 
and further saith not — 



MINUTES OF THE 



Anna Catharina, the wife of Nicholas Zessinger 
afores? deposeth the same, under Oath, as her 
husband related, and further saith not — 

Adam Loucks^^^ appeareth and promiseth, 
to clear himself by sufficient Evidences of 
what he then said, at the next Meeting of the 
Committee of Palatine District, to which it 
was adjourned, for want of the Evidence 
pres! — 

Affidavit of Jacob Ja. Clock, v? Charles 
Gordon, concerning Christian House and 
Roger Baxtor — 

Jacob Ja. Clock under Oath deposeth and 
saith, that to day, when he had Christian 
House prisoner to appear before the General 
Committee, to answer some Questions to be 
laid against him, especially concerning a cer- 
tain Letter sent to the Committee under his 
Name, dated the ii*? of this Inst! he the De- 
ponent heard Charles Gordon Say, that if 
the Committee will have any Reason for the 
quest? Letter sent by him and Said House, they 
must send for himself, the said Gordon, and he 
would answer for the same at any Time, when 
desired — 

_ 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



The said Deponent under Oath further saith, 
that at the Time, when he had Christian House 
prisoner, at the house of Rogert Baxtor, the 
said Baxtor expressed himself in these Words : 
God d . . . n it. Christian House is a great 
fool to appear before this Committee; The 
great Man Hannickel Herkheimer, must send 
150. Men up for him the said House, and then 
We will knock some of em down. And gen- 
erally the said Baxtor and Charles Gordon did 
blackart and illuse in villain Expressions the 
whole General Committee jointly & severally ; 
and further saith not — 

Deposition of Doctf William Petry, a Mem- 
ber of our Committee, concerning his Imprison- 
ment by Alexander White, Sheriff — 

William Petry under Oath saith, that as he was 
in John'stown to look for his Servant Runa- 
way, who by the Information of one Conner 
should have been that Time at the Same place 
or thereabo!, the Sheriff White stopped the 
Deponent in the Street, and told him, that he 
must go to Goal. Whereupon the Deponent 
enquired for the Writ against him, or any other 
Reason, Why he should go to Goal, but the 



MINUTES OF THE 



said Sheriff replied shortly to him that it is too 
late to give this prisoner close. The next Day 
the said Sheriff wrote a Recognizance of £,^0. 
penalty, and wanted to have the same signed 
by the said Petry, which when done, said he, 
shall Relieve him immediately ; This Signing 
the Deponent refused, and after some hours 
past, the Jailkeeper ordered the Deponent out 
of the Goal again, without any Bail or Recog- 
nizance, and further saith not — 

Adjourned the Meeting till to morrow 
Morning. 



XXIII. MEETING 

of the County Committee continued according 
to adjournmen! on Sunday the 27*!" AugV 1775. 
at the same house of Gose Van Alstyne — 
The same Members present, as yesterday : 



David Cox, a Member of our Committee, 
appeareth and upon Oath deposeth & Saith 
that at a certain Meeting and Voting held the 
5'? of this Inst! at the house of Henry W. 
Nelles^^^ in Palatine Distr! he heard Thomas 
Baxtor argue a great Deal in Regard and Be- 
half of the persons on the day afores? chosen 



fwS 




COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



by him & his Company for Members of the 
Committee for said Palat. District, and in par- 
ticular pretended, that these new chosen mem- 
bers shall soon make an Alteration in Orders, 
and shall fall upon such people like Henry 
W. Nelles, and many others alike; The said 
Thomas did express himself in many threat- 
nings ag'.^ the said Nelles — 

Also this Night last past, when the Dep! 
fetch*} said Thomas prisoner upon Orders of 
this Committee now Sitting, the said Thomas 
Baxtor refused several times to appear before 
this Board, and declared to have no Regard to 
them, for, says he, they are a parcel of great 
Rascals, and that he would not be forced to 
go ; he used also in particular the Dep! with 
very ill and scolding Words — 
Uriel Comes, Constable, appeareth and giveth 
his Evidence under Oath & saith that at the 
time, when he served a Subpoena to Christian 
House, Thomas Baxtor being then and there 
present said, that Christian House would be 
a d . . . d fool to appear before the Com- 
mittee upon this Subpoena, for this Com- 
mittee is a d ... d club of people, and if 
they will sit again, (Thomas said,) they will 
get a good flocking, and upon Reply of the 



MINUTES OF THE 



Dep! who the same shall do, Baxtor an- 
swered : We and in particular Henry Zim- 
merman can do it, and he '11 be sure, that he 
would perform it — 

Jacob Ja. Clock further under Oath deposeth 
and saith, that when he went with his prisoner, 
Christian House aforesaid, from the homestead 
of Roger Baxtor, his Son John followed him 
and desired him the Deponent not to tell any- 
thing to the Committee, of what has been said 
by his Father against the said Committee, but 
the said John says further that if Christian 
House shall be sent to Albany Goal, he would 
spend all his Estate in the Civil Law against 
Such proceedings — 

Resolved and Ordered, that these Baxtors, 
House and Gordon shall be fetch'd immedi- 
ately before this Board — 

Whereas it appeareth to the General Com- 
mittee of this Board by the foregoing several 
Evidences against Christian House, Charles 
Gordon, Roger Baxtor and Thomas Baxtor, 
and also by their own Declarations and Ex- 
pressions before this General Committee, they 
the said prisoners did not only misuse the 
Committee with unmannerly and scandalous 
Expressions and Reflections, but also pretend 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



not to be liable to obey the Orders and 
Directions of the old chosen Committee, in- 
sisting intirely upon their new Members voted 
by a small party of Inhabitants in Palatine 
District — 

Therefore it Is 
Resolved by the Majority of Votes, That 
notwithstanding Such 111 Behaviours and 
mutinous pretensions the Said accused persons, 
in Case they acknowledge their faults, and 
promise to pay strict obedience in future to 
all further needful Directions and Orders of 
our General Committee, as well as of the old 
chosen & confirmed Palatine Committee to 
the Behalf of the Common Cause, they for 
this Time shall be forgiven. But if they will 
not accept of this our Indulgence, and insist 
upon their mutinies, they shall be sent im- 
mediately down to the Care and further Dis- 
cretion of the Albany Committee — 

Thomas Baxtor did acknowledge his fault, 
hoped to be forgiven, and will obey all further 
Regulations and Orders of this General Com- 
mittee, and of the respective Sub-Committees 
of each District. — 

But afterwards refused to sign to his Dec- 



[s] 



i^S^ 



MINUTES OF THE 



laration aforesaid, and insisted with the Rest 
of his accused Company to be sent to Albany 
— Therefore 

Resolved, that Roger Baxter, Thomas Baxter, 
Charles Gordon and Christian House shall 
be bound under an Obligation of j[iQO. — 
to appear before the Albany Committee at 
Albany on the 26*? Day of Sept^ next for their 
Tryal — 

vide Obligation & Declaration page 



XXIV. MEETING — 

of the County Committee on Thursday the 

7- Septy 1775. at the House of Gose Van 

Alstyne — 

Members ■present 

rMefs? Nicholas Herkimer, chai'!'! 
\ John Eisenlord Clk J 

Mohawks Palatine 

Mefs? Fred'? Visher Mefs? Harmf V. Slyck 

Volkert Vedder Jacob Clock 

Sampson Simons John Frey 

Christian Nelles 

^ . , AndT Reber 

Conajohary ^^^^ j, ^^^^^ 

Ebenezer Cox Peter Waggoner 

V\^2 Seeber Isaac Paris 

John Moore Daniel Ml^Dougal 
Samuel Campbell 

£661 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Conrad Pickert 
David Cox 



King's land 6- G'fiatts 

Jacob N. Weaver 
Fredif Hellmer 
John Franck 
George Wents 
George Herkimer 



Whereas It is an unanimous Complaint of al] 
the Freeholders and Inhabitants in our County 
(only the Tories Excepted) against the Scanda- 
lous, dammaging & dangerous Conduct of our 
late Sheriff, Alexander White, as he has proved 
Sufficiently himself unworthy of his Office and 
an enemy in general and in particular to our 
American Cause ; Therefore the County Com- 
mittee at the Expiration of his Commission 
thought necessary to the Satisfaction of the 
publick and to the Behalf of our Constitution, 
to have a free Voting of a New Sheriff by the 
Freeholders and Inhabitants of our County. — 

In Order thereof the Voting begun, and at 
the Conclusion 

— John Frey Esq^ — 
has got the Majority of Votes for High Sheriff 
of the County of Tryon — (The Votes being 
89 for him ag'.* 31-11. &3 for others set up.) 

Resolved and Ordered, that these proceed- 
ings shall be sent in a Letter to our provincial 



MINUTES OF THE 



Congress, and recommended to their Interest 
and further Direction — 



Resolved, That the Members of the Mohl" 
District improve the first and best Oppor- 
tunity, to take Mefs? Lewis Clement and Peter 
Bown, and them safely keep in Custody, until 
the General Committee be notified and come 
together, to judge of the Matter — 

Resolved That Mr. John Eisenlord doth 
fetch from Albany 4 : or 500 W! of powder 
and Lead in proportion, which is to be deposited 
in the care of M' Daniel M?Dougall, until 
Ordered by the Colonels of each Respective 
District, to be distributed to the people of each 
Dist^ in proportion, as the Quantity, that may 
be obtained, can bear : And that the Cap!' im- 
mediately call their Companies under Arms, 
and Examine, what Quantity of Ammunition 
they want, and make a Return to their Respec- 
tive Col! so that they may be supplied out of 
the publick Store — 

Delivered therefore an Order to the said 
M^ Eisenlord on the Committee of Albany — 

Crownidge Kinkead,^^^ John CoUins^^^ and 
Marte J. Van Alstyne^^^ signed to the Association 

Adjourned till to Morrow Morning — 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



XXV. MEETING — 

of the County Committee continued according 
to adjournm* on Fry day the 8*!* Sept. 1775 at 
the house afores? — 

Members present, as yesterday : 



Agreed and Resolved unanimously, that from 
henceforth Every Member of or belonging to 
this Board, when Legally notified shall without 
fail appear at the Time and place appointed to 
meet, under the penalty of forfeiting the Sum 
of Twenty Shillings, besides being obliged to 
bear their equal part of the Expences of the 
Committee at that Sitting, provided that they 
cannot give a Sufficient Reason, why they do 
not appear or attend ; But in Case of Sickness, 
or any other sufficient Reason Satisfactory to 
the Committee, then to be free, but otherwise 
shall be liable to pay the above penalty right 
down to the Committee, which fines are to be 
converted to defray the publick Expence, to 
which agreement We have annexed our Names 
the day above ment? — 

Provided Also that the German flatts and 
King'sland District, and also the Mohawk 
District may send the Major part of their 



MINUTES OF THE 



Members instead of all, as a Sub-Committee 
of them appointed. — 

Also that no Member, when assembled, shall 
withdraw or depart without Leave of the Chair- 
man or the whole Board be discharged, under 
the above penalty — 



Peter P+ Waggoner James M^Master 

mark 
Harmanus V. Slyck Volkert Vedder 



Christian Nelles 
George Ekert j^ 

Adam Fonda 



Sampson Simons 
John Clock 

his 

Cunrad + Pickert 

mark 
David Cox 
George Herkimer 

his 
Ws 4- Foxjun^ 

mark 

Duncan M?Dougall AbrS Van Home 

John Jacob Weber Isaac Paris 

Frederick Fisher John Frey 

Samuel Clyde John Eisenlord 

Ws Schuyler DanJ M^Dougall 



Nicholas Herkheimer 

John Marlatt 
Fred"^ Hellmer 
John Moore 

his 

Fredi;^+ Arendorf 

mark 



Anthony V. Veghten 

Augustinus Hess William Seeber 

H enrich Harterl33 Andreas Reber 



John Frank 
John Bliven 
Ebenezer Cox 
George Wents 
Jacob Clock 



Sworn this day by the Committee Oath as 
Members of our Board, 

John Frank 
George Herkheimer 
Cunrad Pickert 
Fred'f Hellmer 



Resolved, and Ordered, to acquaint in a Letter 
the Albany Committee of the Disturbances of 
Gordon & Baxtors, and to desire their immedi- 
ate answer, whether they would undertake the 




^■^^:l ' :^-.^>*^^'-^ 



A CLIFF ON THE CANAJOHARIE CREEK 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Tryal thereof, as referred to them in our last 
Meeting under an Obligation of the said ac- 
cused persons signed at the said Meeting — 
vide Letter page 



XXVI. MEETING — 

of the County Committee upon express Re- 
quest of our late Delegate, John Marlatt Esq' 
on Wednesday the 13^*1 September 1775. at 
the house of Gose V. Alstyne — 

Members present : 

JMefs? Nicholas Herkheimer Ch?) 
\ John Eisenlord Clk. J 



Mohawks 

Mefs? John Marlatt 

Volkert Vedder 
Frederick Fisher 
Adam Fonda 
Abrs V. Home 
John Bliven 
Sampson Simons 
W? Schuyler 
James Mi^Master 
Abraham Yates 



Conajohary 

Ebenezer Cox 
David Cox 
John Moore 
Samuel Clyde 



Palatine 

Mess? Anth. V. Fechten 
John Frey 
Isaac Paris 
George Ekert j! 
Harm! V. Slyck 
Peter Waggoner 
AndT Reber 
Ws Fox 
John y. Clock 
Christian Nelles 
Jacob Clock 

King'sland—G. 'fatts. 

Fred^ Arendorf 
August! Hess 
George Wents 

[71] . 



MINUTES OF THE 



Samuel Campbell John Demooth 

Cunrad Pickert Henry Harter 

WS} Seeber Duncan M'^Dougall 

According to a Letter from the Committee 
of Safety of N. York our Major & a Quarter- 
master to each Batt" shall be returned, and the 
Resolve for civil Matters repealed. 

vide Letter page 
John Demooth, a Member of our Commit- 
tee is sworn this Day to the Committee Oath — 

Resolved & Ordered, that Silence shall be 
kept in every Convention of the Committee, 
and if any one has anything to mention, 
he shall move in a regular manner to the 
Chairman, and all private Discourse shall be 
omitted — 



The Sachem Abraham ^^* of the Mohawks 
at Fort Hunter, and with him two Warriors of 
the same Castle appeared before this Board, 
and maketh a long Speech interpreted by 
Quackinbush to this Committee, wherein he 
endeavoureth to convince us of the Ignorance 
and Non Consent of the Sachems and most all 
the Warriors of their Castle in guiding Lewis 
Clement and Peter Bown with the Sheriff 
White, as Suspicioned Enemies to Canada. 

— 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



He asserts, that they want nothing to be but 
Brothers with us, and to be entirely uncon- 
cerned with the Enemies of our American 
Cause. He repeatedly assures us in the Name 
of all the Sachems and Warriors of said Castle, 
that no more any treacherous Communication 
with our said Enemies of them shall be per- 
mitted, nor less any such guide or guides 
towards our Enemies, but if in Case any one 
should apply to the Castle in future for such 
assistance, they would not only acquaint imme- 
diately our Committee thereof, but also en- 
deavor to seize such person and dehver him 
bodily before the Committee, and generally he 
remembers the new Covenant made with us in 
Albany, which they as true Brothers shall and 
will keep Inviobly — 

This Board replieth in answer upon this 
Speech, to be heartily thankful for their Broth- 
erly assurances and to be always ready to shew 
unto them reciprocally true affections — 

John Marlett Esq^ moved, that Cap! Steven- 
son on his Journey to Canada shall be stopped, 
and sent back to Albany under a Guard — 

Resolved by the Majority of Votes, that said 
Stevenson shall be sent back to the Committee 



MINUTES OF THE 



of Schenectady without a guard upon his Word 
of honor, to return with his Boat — 

Ordered the Same, and willingly performed 
immediately by said Cap! Stevenson — 

The whole Committee now present, being 
^6. members, was sworn, according to a Resolve 
passed in the provincial Congress the i- Sept. 
a. c. to try Lewis Clement and Peter Bown of 
the Mohawk's District, now prisoners of this 
Board — vide Resolve page — 

Affidavit of John Bown — 

John Bown of the Mohawk's deposeth under 
Oath and Saith that when Lewis Clement took 
farewell from him, he the Said Clement ex- 
pressed himself in these Words : — Now I go 
to Canada, & shall never come back, till it is 
peace. — 

The prisoner Lewis Clement gives himself 
over to the Breast of this Board — 



By Examining Several Affidavits against 
Lewis Clement hereafore in the Meeting in- 
serted as well as the Copies of Affidavits Rec? 
py the Committee of Albany from Major Gen- 
eral Schuyler of Ticonderoga, the said Lewis 
Clement was unanimously found guilty of the 

_ 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Crime, to have acted as a dangerous Enemy 
of our American Cause, and therefore — 
Resolved, by the Majority of Votes, that Lewis 
Clement, as a punishment for his said Crime, 
shall either pay the Sum of Twenty five pounds 
N. York Currency within two Months Time 
from this date under a Bond and Judg! with a 
personal-Bail, or shall be sent to the close 
Confinement in the Goal of Albany for the 
space of Three Months at his own Costs, 
according to the Resolve of our provincial 
Congress in this case provided. — 
Resolved unanimously, and it is hereby 
Ordered, that the proceedings of the Tryal 
and Determination of said Lewis Clement 
shall be kept a Secret, and not revealed to 
any Body — 



The prisoner 
the confinement 
copper. 

The prisoner 
this Board, and 
menf! and also 
deroga, and by 
and Sentiments 
sociation. — 



Lewis Clement doth choose 
and refused to pay a single 

Peter Bown appeared before 
by the afiidavits here afore- 

by the Evidence of Ticon- 
his own Acknowledgement 

yet Declining from our As- 



MINUTES OF THE 



The Majority of Votes found said Peter 
Bown guilty of the Crime of inimical Acts and 
Deeds ag'.' the American Cause, and as the 
prisoner leaving it to the Determination and 
Breast of this Board, it is — 
Resolved by the Majority of Votes, that Peter 
Bown shall suffer the Same Punishment which is 
inflicted on Louis Clement above expressed — 

The prisoner Peter Bown chooses alike to go 
to the Goal of Albany — 

Resolved, that the proceedings of this Deter- 
mination and the Voting thereof shall be 
Kept Secret — 

Philip Sheffer of the Mohawks District 
appeared before this Board accused of several 
Threatnings and other Misconduct against 
our American Cause, and for Want of Evi- 
dences absent, this Tryal shall be at the next 
Meeting, for which appearance upon notice 
he is bound under an Obligation of ^^loo. 
N. York Currency — 

vide Oblig. page 

The abovement? prisoners, Clement and 
Bown are sent under a Guard of three Con- 
stables with a Mittimus to M\ W- Pemberton, 
Keeper of the Goal of Albany. — 

— 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Together with a Letter to the Albany Com- 
mittee concerning his Tryal — 

John Marlatt Esq' having been of our Del- 
egates at the provincial Congress, and now 
returned therefrom, delivered to this Com- 
mittee, his Bill of Service, amounting to 87 
days a 12/ ^52.4-0. and desired the payment 
in part at present, as he alledges, to have taken 
money upon Interest for his Expences, and the 
payment of which is already called for. 
Resolved, that the payment of this Bill shall 
be considered in our next Meeting — 
Resolved by majority of Votes, that M' John 
Moore, a Member of the Committee for Cona- 
johary District shall represent our County as 
Delegate in the provincial Congress at N. York, 
instead of John Marlatt Esq! returned. — 

And it is the Opinion of this Board, that 
one Delegate would suffise, as the Expenses 
for two would be too burthensome for our 
small County, which was Recommended to 
the provincial Congress in our address of the 
said new chosen Delegate — 

Uriel Comes, Constable, delivers his account 
of Services for and by Orders of the Com- 
mittee. — 



MINUTES OF THE 



Upon a Letter of Cap* Abner French of 
Warrensborough ^^^ with Complaints against the 
Committee — 

Ordered and sent to him an Answer vide Letter 
page that he shall appear at the limited Meet- 
ing on the 26- of October next, to assert and 
prove his Complaints and Accusations before 
this Board then sitting. 

David Cox, a Member for Conajohary Dist! 
desireth his Discharge, which was granted — 

vide Discharge page 
Resolved & Ordered, that the next Meeting 
shall be held on the 16^^. of October next at 
the house of Gose Van Alstyne, if no particular 
& needful Business shall not require a Sooner 
Meeting — 

XXVII. MEETING — 

of the County Committee on the 26- Octo- 
1775. at the house of Gose Van Alstyne — 

Members present : 

Mefs"'- Nich* Herkimer chair"^ 
John Eisenlord Clk 

Mohawk^ s Palatine 

Mefs? John Mariatt Mefs? Anthony V. Fechten 
Volkert Vedder John Frey 

Adam Fonda Isaac Paris 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



John Bliven 
James M^Master 

Conajohary 

Ebenezer Cox 
Samuel Clyde 
Samuel Campbell 
W? Seeber 

Germ" jiatts 



George Eckert 
Harm= V. Slyck 
AndT Reber 
W"!" Fox 
John J= Clock 
Christian Nelles 
Jacob Clock 



Duncan M^ Dougall 



Resolved, that the Tryal of Philip Sheffer, as 
he was not noticed of this our present Meeting 
to appear, shall be adjourned to the next 
Meeting — 

Resolved, that the agreement and Settlement 
of Major-Bliven as Representative in the Case 
ag" the new Chosen Committee for Palatine 
Dist! shall stand, and the two new Members 
agreed upon; viz* 

Charles Gordon and Lawrence Zimmermann 
shall be accepted — 

Resolved, that upon the Complaint of Cap! 
Jacob Seeber in Conajohary District for Dis- 
obedience by Several privates of his Company 
shewn to his Orders for Appearance under arms 
to exercise, it shall be expedied an Order from 
our Committee to the said Cap' Seeber, to fine 
the disobedients immediately in conformity to 
the Articles of our provincial Congress therefor 



[79] 



MINUTES OF THE 



provided, and also prosecute the payment 
thereof accordingly — 

Resolved, that alike Orders are given to Cap- 
tains Clyde and Eisenlord — 

Resolved pi: Majority, that the Days Wages of 
one of our Delegates to the provincial Con- 
gress shall be Eight Shillings N. York Currency 
py Day and no more — 

And that their account shall be paid by the 
first raising Taxes for our County's Expences ; 
and also that Interest shall be paid to our late 
Delegate, John Marlatt Esq' for a part of his 
account amounting to ^630. from the 13*^ of 
June last, untill the said principal be paid. — 

By Examination of Cap! French's Letter of 
Warrensborough to this Committee dated Aug'.' 
23"! a.c. it was found out by the Confession of 
Cap! French himself, that Mess? W"!' Schuyler 
and Abraham Van Home, Members of our 
Committee informed him of the particular Re- 
flections made in a certain Meeting of our Com- 
mittee, that a man, who has no Sufficient Estate, 
even if he would give Bail, be not worthy of a 
Commission in the Military Service, which was 
intended to be applied upon him, as such a one 
understood. — Therefore it is 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Resolved, that the said W? Schuyler and Abra- 
ham V. Home shall render Reason Wherefore 
to the Committee at our next Meeting — 

Resolved, that the absent Members at this 
Meeting, having got Notice at our Meeting of 
Aug'.* 0.6'^ last past. Shall pay upon Notice to 
our next Meeting their fines a 20/ each, accord- 
ing to our Resolve in the afores'' meeting sub- 
scribed by each Member — Viz! — 



{Jbsentees of this Meeting] 



Moka^wk" s 

Abraham v. Home 
Fred'' Visher 
Abraham Yates 
Sampson Simons 
Ws Schuyler 

Palatine 

Peter Waggoner 
Daniel MsDougall 



King's land ConajoM 

'George Herkimer resigned John Pickert 



Mich} Ittig 
August. Hess 
Fred^ Arendorf 
George Wents 
Fred!? Fox 
John Frank 



Cunr'5 Pickert 
Henry Heints 

G. jlatts 

Ws Petry 
Fredi^ Hellmer 
John Demooth 
Jacob R. Weaver 
Henry Harter 



Moved & Resolved, unanimously, that three 
Members of our Committee shall be sent to 
S- John Johnson, to ask him, whether he will 
allow, that his Inhabitants of John'stown & 
King'sborough shall form themselves into Com- 
panies according to the Regulations of our 
Continental Congress to the Defence of our 
Country's Cause ; — And Whether he would 



[6] 



[81] 



MINUTES OF THE 



be ready himself to give his personal assistance 
to the same purpose. And whether he pre- 
tends a Prerogative to our County Courthouse 
and Goal, and would hinder or interrupt the 
Committee, to make use of the same publick 
houses to our Want and Service in the Com- 
mon Cause — 



By the Majority of Votes, Mefs? Ebenezer 
Cox, M'iMaster and John j! Clock, are chosen 
and appointed to go on the purpose above- 
mentl — 



A Letter was sent with aforesl Messengers, 
containing the abovemenfJ Questions, and a 
Copy Kept in our Record — 

Adjourned till to Morrow Morning — 



XXVIII. MEETING — 

Continued according to adjournment on the 
27*'' of October 1775. at the same house — 

The same Members present, as yesterday : 
Moved & Resolved, That a Letter should be 
sent to the Sachems of the Conajohary Castle 
in Regard to the Return and present abiding 
of some Indians in their Castle from Canada, 
who have acted inimically against us, and 

[17] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



fought against our united forces near the Fort 
S! John,^^^ not to give Shelter to such real 
Enemies among 'em — 

Resolved & Ordered, that Cap! French of the 
Mohawk District shall prosecute his disobe- 
dients for nonappearance under arms to exer- 
cise, according to Resolves of the provincial 
Congress therefore provided — 
Resolved and expedied an Order alike to Cap! 
Samuel Clyde of Cherry Valley, and to Cap! 
John Eisenlord in N. Germantown — 

Resolved, that each Battallion of Militia shall 
meet on Saturday the 4'? Novemb! next at 
convenient places respectively, appointed by 
each Colonel, to choose the Minute Men, and 
to form them into Companies, and also to 
procure the Officers chosen by them, accord- 
ing to the Resolves of the provincial Congress, 
and a Return to be made to the chairman 
immediately after proceedings — 

The Deputies, Mefs" Ebenezer Cox, James 
M^ Master and John j! Clock, Returned from 
their Message to Sir John Johnson, and upon 
our Questions sent to him in a Letter, they 
brought by Word and Mouth the following 
answer back to the Committee — Viz! 



MINUTES OF THE 



I.) By perusing our Letter Sy John replied, 
that he thinks our Requests very unreasonable, 
as he never had denied the Use either of the 
Courthouse or Goal to any Body, nor would 
yet deny it, for the Use, where these houses 
have been built for, but he looks upon, that 
the Courthouse & Goal be his property, till 
he is paid jQjoo. — which being out of his 
pocket for the Building of the same — 

2.) In Regard of embodying his Tenants 
into Companies, he never did forbid them, 
neither should do it as they may use their 
pleasure, but we might save ourselves the 
Trouble, he being sure, that they would not — 

3.) Concerning himself, he said that before 
he would sign any Association, or would lift 
up his hand against his King, he would rather 
suffer, that his head shall be cut off. — 
And further he replied, that if we would make 
any unlawful Use of the Goal, he would oppose 
it. Also he mentions, that there have many 
unfair Means been used for signing the Asso- 
ciation and uniting the people, for he was 
informed by credible Gentlemen in N. York, 
that they were obliged to unite, otherwise they 
could not live there. And that he was also 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



informed by good Authority, that likewise two 
thirds of the Conajohary and German flatts 
people have been forced to sign — 
And by his Opinion the Boston people are 
open Rebells, and the other Colonies have 
joined them — 

Moved & Resolved by the Majority of 
Votes, that our prisoners Lewis Clement and 
Peter Bown sentenced to be confined in Goal for 
3. months Imprisonment which being Returned 
from Alby Committee, shall be sent to our 
County Goal at John'stown, to find out, 
whether S! John shall judge this Use of our 
County Goal for unlawful, and will oppose the 
same — 

Ordered, therefore, that a party of Eight men 
under the Command of Cap* Jacob Seeber shall 
be sent immediately, to take the said prisoners 
and convey them to the said Goal, and if the 
Goaler should refuse to receive them in his 
Custody and close Confinement for the Time 
limited, or be opposed by Si; John then the 
said party shall bring them to the house of 
our voted and elected new High Sheriff, 
John Frey Esq' who shall immediately inform 
thereof our Chairman for further Directions — 



MINUTES OF THE 



Continued the same Day at the House of 
William Seeber — 

Members present : 

Mefs? Nicholas Herkheimer Chairm" John Eisenlord 
Clk. 
William Seeber ; Jacob Clock ; John Frey ; 
Harm? Van Slyck ; Christian Nelles ; John J^ 
Clock & Duncan M?=Dougall — 

Answer & Speech of the Ind! of Conajo- 
hary Castle upon our Letter sent to them this 
Day: — 

The Sachems as well as the Warriors ap- 
peared and made their Answer in the following 
Manner : Viz! 

Brothers, We are thankful to You, that you 
openned Your hearts, and We comprehend to 
be all true, what you wrote to us. — We live 
together Gentlemen, and We shall do our En- 
deavor to answer you upon all the Contents of 
your Letter, as much as we can Remember 
thereof — 

Brothers, We have not yet forgotten our 
agreement made in Albany, it is not such a 
long, time ago. We can remember it yet, al- 
tho' we have not put it in Writing, but it is yet 
in our Memory — We can Remember very 
well, that there have been 12. Governors, with 




w 

I— ( 

Pi 

h 

H 
<! 

o 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



whom we agreed, and we made a levell Road to 
the 6. Nations, to Boston and to Philadel- 
phia. — 

Brothers, We as well, as the Senecas and 
others of the 6. Nations have been very glad 
to make that Road ; Where we went and shall 
go, it is all peace and very good. — The Na- 
tions have been very glad for the making of 
that good Road, and it is all peaceable, but we 
are afraid, you make the first Disturbance on 
the Seaside, because you are a fighting already. 
They have made that good Road, but they 
will not hope, that we should spill blood upon 

it. — 

You said in your Letter, that you cannot 
keep your young people back, but we think, 
you are Masters of 'em and could order them. — 
Some of our young people are now in Canada, 
and perhaps they are killed there, but if so be, 
our hearts will not be sore about it. — There 
are some young people, whom We could per- 
suade to stay, and not to meddle themselves 
with the fighting of the White people, but some 
went yet away, and We are glad to see them 
back again, because they have been debauched 
to go away — 

Brothers, the 6. Nations are now Speaking 



[87] 



MINUTES OF THE 



about that good Road made and be glad but if 
they should soon pass that Road, and see some 
Blood Spilled upon, they would be surprised. — 
Brothers, We have made a very strong agree- 
ment of Friendship together, and We beg, you 
will not break it for sake of some wrong done 
by some, who have been debauched, you will 
drop it. We hope, at present — 

Answer to them : 
We replied to them, that if their young peo- 
ple, who have first spilled Blood of our Broth- 
ers are come back, and they should repent the 
same. Such a one should have come to us, and 
shewed to us, that he be sorry of what was 
passed, and make promises not to be so in 
future, but the quest? W- Johnson did not do 
that, as yet, on the Contrary he bragged of his 
hostile proceedings, and Speaks very boldly 
against our Cause. 

A Letter was sent to the provincial Congress 
with the Return of 4. Second Majors & 4. 
Quartermasters to be Commissioned according 
to Request from said Congress — 

vide Letter p. 

__ 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



XXIX. MEETING — 

of the County Committee on Monday the 6- 
November 1775. at the house of Gose Van 
Alstyne — 

Members 'present : 

Mefs^ i " " " chairman abs5 for sickness 
I John Eisenlord Clk 



Mohawi's 
Mefs"? Fredk Visher 

Volkert Vedder 
Samson Simons 
John Marlatt 
John Bliven 



Abraham V, Home ^WB Fox 



Palatini 
Mefs"2john Frey 
Jacob Clock 
Absentees in this Meeting John J? Clock 

JCunard Pickert 
(Henry Heints 



) Christian Nelles 

I Conajohy Peter Waggones 
1 Harms V.Slyck 

James M? Master J Anthony V. Vegden J- Palatine And'J' Reber 

[oaniel M^Dougal J George Eker j^ 

Lawrence Zimmerman 



Conajohary 

WiU"B Seeber Aug^ Hess 
Samuel Clyde Fredlf^ Ahrendorf 
Samuel Campbell George Wents 
(John) Pickert FredlF Fox 
(Ebenezer) Cox W™ Petty 

Fredk HeUmer 



^ 9 



G. ftatts &> 
King's Land 



§" rjohnDemooth"! Michel Ittig 

5^ J Jacob Weaver I John Frank 

> ^ j Henry Harter j John Eisenlord 



Moved, to vote a Chairman for this Session in 
the absense of our Chairman, Nicholas Herk- 
heimer Esq' being presently Sick and by the 
Majority of Votes has got the Chair : 

Z' Coll Ebenezer Cox — 

Resolved by the Majority of Votes, that agree- 
able to the Resolve of the provincial Congress 
dated Oct! io\'' a. c. the Delegates of each 
County shall be elected this day we proceed 



MINUTES OF THE 



therefore in Voting of ours after due publick 
Notice given in each District of our County. 

Moved & Resolved, that two Delegates are Suffi- 
cient as Representatives for our County — 

By the Majority of Votes of the Freeholders 
of our County this day assembled, are chosen 
and elected as the said two Delegates for our 
county. — 

Mefs? John Moore 1 
& Isaac Paris I 



But in Case M^ Paris shall refuse this Ser- 
vice, Ml" Sampson Simons, as the next in 
Votes, will accept of — 

Upon a Letter of the Albany Committee cham- 
ber dated Oct. 23? a. c. concerning their pay- 
ment for 150. lb of Powder sent up to us p' 
M' Frederick Visher, a Member of our 
Committee. 

Resolved, to answer, that as soon as the Per- 
sons, who have got the Disposal of the s? powd' 
shall be returned home, being presently out of 
the County in the Service of the publick. We 
shall enquire for their Disposal, and immedi- 
ately after send the money due to the Com- 
mittee of Albany — 

^9^1 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



NB. The Mohawk's Committee kept of 
this quest^ Quantity of powder 

3. Caggs c 25. lb 75 lb 

Christopher P. Yates Esqf Rec*^ 2. Caggs 50 — 

And Mr John Moore Rec"^ prsaid Yates i Cagg a 25 — 

Total 1 50 — 

As the Heads of the Mohawk's applied to 
John Marlatt Esq- in the Name of the Com- 
mittee that we should discharge Peter Bown 
and Lewis Clement for their Misbehaviour 
John (Frey) Esq- 

Moveth to answer upon in this Manner, that 
if we do discharge them We would do it upon 
account of the said Mohawk Indians and upon 
no other means else — . And in Case the said 
Mohawks would bring the said Bown & 
Clement before us, and they then will acknowl- 
edge their faults, also promise to behave them- 
selves Brotherlike to the best of our Country's 
Cause, and no more against it, then We will 
forgive and discharge them in full — 

This Motion carried the Majority of Votes in 
the Affirmative, and such an answer expedied — 

Vide Letter page 
Whereas We have been informed of a cred- 
ible person, who came in a Battoe from Oswego, 



MINUTES OF THE 



that Co! Butler ^^''' with a party of three or four 
more of our former Residents in our County 
are on their Journey to return to their home 
among us, and in particular said Butler de- 
sired the above ment? Battoeman, to take him 
along in his Battoe, but was refused. — Upon 
this dangerous intended Return of our proved 
Enemies, who left the County to serve against 
us in a hostile Manner, as much as it did lie in 
their power, and did actually not only fight 
themselves ag'.^ our Forces near S! John's, but 
also tried their best to set up the Savages 
against us. — 

John Frey Esq! Moved, that We should imme- 
diately order and keep a guard of fifteen Men 
at the Dwelling house of John Franck in 
King'sland Dist^ and also a Guard at the Carry- 
ing place on the Little Falls, to stop the 
abovement? returning Enemies, and take them 
prisoner (by Force of Arms if Need Requireth) 
and keep them in safe Custody, but in the 
mean While send an express to the Chairman 
of their proceedings for flirther Orders and 
Regulations 

Also that a Spy guard of two or three Men 
be sent up above the Flatts, who shall upon 
Sight of such Enemies as afores*! immediately 

^9^1 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



and with all speed return to the Flatts to in- 
form thereof either the officer commanding the 
guard at Frank's, or any other Militia Officer 
or Committee Member next & first meeting 
in Return — 



This Motion is approved by Majority of 
Votes, and immediate Orders expedied on that 
purpose to Cap! George Herkimer and Cap! 
John Eisenlord — 

M! Ebenezer Cox, the present Chairman, 
moved further on the point aforemenfl that 
this guard be ordered at Frank's house and at 
the little Falls to stop any person by Land or 
Water going up or down, whom they think 
proper and especially suspicious to them, and 
keep them in safe Custody, until they give 
proper Satisfaction — 

This Motion is approved also unanimously, 
and inserted in the abovementf orders — 



Mr John Eisenlord moved, that in Regard 
to the Landlord of our Meetinghouse, Gose 
Van Alstyne, as he has Business sometimes to 
go out and in our Chamber of Convention, 
the Oath of Secrecy should be taken of him — 
Approved unanimously of this Motion, and 



MINUTES OF THE 



accordingly the Said Gose Van Alstyne was 
sworn immediately — 

Henry Zimmerman lays before the Com- 
mittee, that he with a certain Number of his 
Neighbors living in Palatine Dist^ on the 
North side of the Mohawk River do not 
choose to train under a Captain in Conajohary 
District on the southside of the Mohawk River, 
but desire to be inlisted in the Company being 
nearest to their habitations on their side of 
that River. And brings also for further Rea- 
son, that he with his said Neighbors did never 
choose the officers on the other side of the 
River, whereby they shall be commanded. 

Whereas the other party defend! is not pres- 
ent, which pretends to prove the Consent of 
the plaintiffs with the Officers chosen on the 
Southside of the Mohawk River whereby they 
have been commanded, it is — 
Resolved p' Majority, that this Case shall be 
adjourned to the (next) Meeting, to hear both 
parties for the Decision and Difference — 

adjourned till to-morrow 



[94] 




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IS 

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125 

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IS 
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COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



XXX. MEETING — 

of the County Committee continued to adjourn- 
ment on Tuesday the 7- Novf 1775. at the 
same house — 

Samuel Campbell moveth, that upon Request 
of the Oneida Indf it should be expedied an 
authority to them, to stop Letters or any other 
packets suspicious to the prejudice of our 
Country's Cause, and the Carriers of such, 
being without a pass of our or any other Com- 
mittee of our Province — 

This Motion was in the Negative pi Majority 
of Votes, as those Ind^ affairs belong to the 
agents in Albany — 

Col! Jacob Clock relates, what dangerous 
threatenings & other scandalous Expressions 
the Returned Enemy, W- Johnson^^ did utter 
at his, said Clock's house last Monday night, 
in the absense of him, Co! Clock afores? — 

He came there from John's town accoutred 
with two pistols, a gun and a Broadsword on 
his side. Saying : (" I am a King's Man, who 
dare say anything against it ; I have Killed so 
many Yankies at Fort S! John's with this 
Sword of my Father, they are no Soldiers at 
all. I kill'd and scalp'd, and kick-d their arses, 

__ 



MINUTES OF THE 



and the d . . . d Committee here have gone too 
far already, I will shew them better, and will 
cut some of their heads off by and by ; I only 
pity the wives and children, for I shall come 
with 500. Men, which I have ready, to cut off 
the whole River and burn their houses this 
Fall yet :) besides other villanous Challenges. 
— Further he said that he was sorry, having 
not stopped at Philip Fox's by that d . . . d 
Son of a pitch M-Dougall, for he heard of his 
people, that he set up the Scotch people against 
them — 



My John Eisenlord moved, that of this dan- 
gerous Behaviour of said W- Johnson the 
agents in Indian affairs should be acquainted, 
to prevent the Execution of his Threatenings 
or other ill Consequence of his Conduct, if 
possible — 

Voted for this Motion in the affirmative p! 
Majority — 

Moved & Resolved that advertisements shall 
be put on, to call In the accounts ag^.' our Com- 
mittee, to examine the same at our next Meet- 
ing to be held at this house on the 24'? of this 
Inst! 
Moved & Resolved, that if in Case Col Butler 

196} 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



with his Company or some of them should be 
taken up and found guilty, they should be 
sent to the provincial Congress as Suspicious 
Enemies to our Country and its Liberties, to 
be then and there examined & tried — 

Moved by Mf James M?Master, that as 
John Hare, the Jail-keeper Robert Picken 
and George Cook did oppose Capl Jacob W. 
Seeber by delivering Peter Bown, a prisoner 
of our Committee to goal for 3 Months Im- 
prisonment, and have offered to Shoot said 
Seeber, as it is said, they the Said Hare, 
Picken & Cook shall be taken prisoner, and 
be confined afterwards to a prison of our 
Choice — 

Voted therefore in the Negative — 

Resolved, that the Battallion of Co! Jacob 
Clock shall extend no farther than the house of 
Jacob Staring on the West Side of the lower 
Canada Creek in the Royal grant exclusive — 
And the Battallion of Col Peter Bellinger shall 
begin and take its Bounds there — 



Resolved, that Mr John Eisenlord upon re- 
peated Requests of the united Committees of 
German flatts and King's land Dist*f shall be 
and pass as a Member of their Committee — 



[7] 



[97] 



MINUTES OF THE 



Moved, By Cap* Samuel Clyde to a small 
party of this Committee Concerning transient 
Men or Sojourners in this County. 

Voted & Resolved, by this party, that what- 
soever person or persons abiding or sojourning 
within this County the space of Six Weeks, 
shall be liable to bear Arms, and do Military 
Duty under whatsoever Cap* or Company he 
shall happen to abide at the Said Time of Mili- 
tary Exercise or be culpable to the like fines or 
punishment of any of the Inhabitants or Free- 
holders of the place — 

XXXI. MEETING — 

of the County Committee on Fryday the 24*!* 
of November 1775. at the house of Gose Van 
Alstyne — 

Members present : 

Mefs':^ J Nicholas Herkimer Chair? "j 
I John Eisenlord Clk J 

Mohaivks Palatine 

MefsE Volkert Vedder MefsS John Frey 

Adam Fonda Isaac Paris 

Samson Simons Andr^ Reber 

Abr2 V, Home ^Absentees in this Meeting Harm^ V. Slyck 
John Bliven J WE2 Fox — of Palatine ) George Eckert 
James M=Master( Henry Heintsofconajohyj Peter Waggoner 
We Schuyler Jacob Clock 

FredV Visher Christian Nelles 

John Marlatt John J=. Clock 

Lawr'^^ Zimmerman 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Conajokary 

Ebenezer Cox 
Ws Seeber 
John Pickert 
Samuel Clyde 
Samuel Campbell 
Cunrad Pickert 



K. Land & G.fattt 

Augustinus Hess 
Fred^ Arendorf 
Michel Ittig 
FredH Fox 
John Frank 
George Wents 
Duncal M^Dougall 
Ws Petry 
Jacob N. Weaver 



By a Guard Kept in King's land Dis! Cap'. 
George Herkimer took prisoners four Suspi- 
cious persons as Enemies acted against us in 
the province of Canada and having been now 
in their Return to our County — Viz! 

James Cameron — Scotchman ^ 

John Freil, of King'sborough — I f t P 

John Picken, of John'stown | 

George Crawford of Butlerbury J 



James Cameron was examined under Oath 
and Saith, that he coming lately from Scotland, 
and being in his Journey to see his Brother, 
was last May stopped by Co! Guy Johnson at 
his house in the King's Road, and persuaded to 
stay with him at 3 / — p^ Day — also was taken 
along in that Manner and at the Same pay, as 
a Battoeman, to Oswego by said Guy — There 
he would absolutely return back to this Coun- 
try, but Was then stopped by force, and ordered 

[99I 



MINUTES OF THE 



by said Guy to do further Service as a Battoe- 
man to Montreal with him, the said Johnson: 
When arrived at Montreal, Guy Johnson p! 
himself and by other Mefsengers pursued him 
often to enlist him in the King's Service, which 
he always refused and did never accept of, but 
worked at Montreal p^ Month by a Citizen, 
and hearing of the Return of M"^ John Robin- 
son, Merch! of Schenectady, he endeavored to 
go also back with him to the County of Tryon, 
to get his Livelyhood there about, and agreed 
w*? said Robinson to wait on him in his Jour- 
ney home at 3 / pT day, altho* he had an offer 
of Col John Butler to go with him at 4 / p! day 
but he really always disliked the Company and 
Engagem! of Co! Johnson & his party — He 
the Deponent further declareth on Oath that he 
is resolved still, never to take up arms against 
the Country's Cause, nor do anything con- 
sequential in the favor of the Country's Ene- 
mies, but rather be always ready to defend the 
American Liberty with the Friends of our 
Country, and to obey the Orders and Regula- 
tions therefore provided and to be further 
Issued and further saith not — 



his 

James + Cameron 

mark 



[ 100] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



As by the Examination of this James Cam- 
eron no Misbehaviour ag'' our Cause is found 
and he appearing unguilty of any Fact against 
our Constitution, it is unanimously 
Resolved, That the said James Cameron shall 
be discharged, and upon his Request also 
granted a pass, behaving himself as a Friend 
to American Liberty, agreeable to his Oath 
taken in Manner above described — 



John Freel, one of the prisoners above ment*^ 
was examined, and saith on Oath, that Co! Guy 
Johnson some time in April last past required 
him, to go along with him to help John 
Thompson, to make some Taylor's Work 
there, for his family, as he had Business 
there with the Indians for about three Weeks. 
Whereupon he the Deponent, as a Man, who 
must live by his Trade, and in particular has 
earned a great Deal of that Family, consented 
and went along, but from thence said Guy per- 
suaded him further till to Oswego, where he 
the Deponent desired to go back home, but 
was refused by the said Guy and stopped by 
force, under Threatnings to flock any one, that 
would insist upon returning back from Os- 
wego — From thence he was commanded to 

[lOl] 



MINUTES OF THE 



go in a Battoe with said Guy and his party 
to Montreal, where he was on the arrival dis- 
charged yet said Guy and others of his party 
endeavored to engage him in the King's Ser- 
vice, which he refused, and did work upon his 
Taylor's Trade in the Town of Montreal, until 
he found an opportunity to return home in a 
Battoe — 

The said Deponent also declareth under his 
Oath never to take up arms against the Amer- 
ican Liberty's Cause but rather to shew himself 
always ready at any command to defend the 
said Cause ; and further saith not — 

his 

John -j- Freel 



mark 



George Crawford, one of the prisoners above 
ment^ upon Examination declareth under 
Oath, that Col Butler desired him to come 
to Col Guy Johnson, who wants to employ 
him in some Business, which Interest would 
be more valuable than his Schooling Salary, 
and upon Reply, that he would not like to 
loose his School, said Butler answered him, 
that as his School Year was now expired, he 
might accept of such service by Guy, being 
only for a few and then he might return 
to engage himself to School again for an- 

[ 102] 




' M 






/'i 



^:m 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



other Year. he should consider the Differ- 
ence of pay. 

The Dep! then went to Co! Guy Johnson and 
engaged himself to assist him in holding a Con- 
gress with the Indians at John Thompson's : 
But from^^^ 



[ 103 ] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Notes to the Text 

I'ryon County 

1 Counties were erected in the colony of New 
York for the first time in 1683 and were twelve in 
number, Albany, Cornwall, Dukes, Dutchess, Kings, 
New York, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, 
Ulster, and Westchester. 

The county of Cornwall consisted of what was 
known as Pemaquid, and Dukes was made up of 
Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Patents from the 
king were queer affairs in those days, and that of the 
Duke of York was no exception. Each one of these 
patents reached out vaguely into an unmapped and 
unsurveyed wilderness. But the New York patent 
while uncertain enough, did not equal in absurdity 
those of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and some others 
whose bounds on the west were the " South Sea." 

The Mohawk country was in Albany County, and 
as the settlements extended further and further it be- 
came necessary, for the convenience of the people, to 
divide that county. 

This was done in 1772, and the new county 
named Tryon, taken from Albany County had the 
following bounds : 

Beginning at the Indian Village of St. Regis on 
the St. Lawrence, the east boundary ran in a straight 
line to the west bounds of the township of Schenec- 
tady, thence in a general southwesterly direction to 

[105] 



Note I 



MINUTES OF THE 



Note for 
Tryon Co. 



Lake Ut-sy-an-tha, a small body of water which is the 
source of the Mohawk branch of the Delaware River, 
and down the same to the southeast bounds of the 
present County of Broome, thence northwest in nearly 
a straight course to Fort Bull between Rome and 
Oneida Lake. 

This western boundary of Tryon County was the 
"Old Treaty Line" of 1768. West of this line 
was the " Six Nations Indian Country ; " for while 
the white man wanted it badly enough, and both the 
colonies of New York and Massachusetts claimed it, 
still neither a settler nor the colonial government it- 
self had the temerity to make any overt claim in hos- 
tility to the native owners. 

During the War of Independence the name of 
Tryon had become offensive, and so Tryon County 
became Montgomery County by an act of the Legis- 
lature in 1784. The bounds of the county and the 
bounds and names of the five districts into which it 
was subdivided were not, however, changed by that 
act. Montgomery County, like its predecessor, 
Tryon County, had for its western boundary the 
"Old Treaty Line" of 1768. 

In 1788 by another act of the legislature Mont- 
gomery County was " enlarged " so as to take in the 
^' Country of the Six Nations," who had forfeited the 
rights they had when the treaty of 1768 was made. 

There was, however, a violent controversy over 
this territory west of the treaty line, for Massachusetts 
claimed it as well as New York, and the quarrel was 
only settled by a compromise. New York giving to 

[106] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Massachusetts all the land from Seneca Lake to Lake 
Erie. 

2 This division of the County of Tryon was on the 
north side of the Mohawk River, between Anthony's 
Nose, or " Nose Hill," on the east and Little Falls on 
the west ; to the north, it stretched away indefinitely 
into the Adirondack wilderness, the St. Lawrence 
probably being its northern boundary. It was settled 
— where it was settled at all — chiefly by German 
Palatines, a few Hollanders, and some few of other 
nationalities. 

2 This man was one of the Palatines, and his inn, 
at which the first meeting of the Committee was held, 
stood about a mile north of the Stone Arabia churches. 
He is buried in the churchyard on the glebe land of 
the Dutch Reformed church. He was a justice of 
the peace and a man of prominence. 

* In 1723 a tract of land in the district afterward 
known as Palatine was bought of the Mohawk In- 
dians, by certain German Palatines ; the purchase was 
confirmed by letters patent from the king. It con- 
tained 12,700 acres of land, and, for some unknown 
reason, was named Stone Arabia. 

At this time, after a settlement of fifty years, it was 
one of the most flourishing and prosperous sections 
of Tryon County. The land was of surpassing fer- 
tility, and the farms and buildings, horses and cattle, 
gave evidence of thrift, peace, and contentment. 

There were two churches standing in the little 
hamlet, and on the glebe land was the churchyard. 
There were fewer Tories than in the other districts ; 

[ 107] 



Palatine 
District 



Adam 
Loucks 



Stone 
Arabia 



MINUTES OF THE 



Port of 
Boston 

Five 
Delegates 



Christopher 
P. Tates 



the people had suffered too much in their own land on 
the Rhine, from the offensive acts of kings, to bear with 
any patience those of the English rulers, and so the 
people were nearly all ardent and outspoken patriots. 

They suffered equally in the war with the other 
sections of Tryon County. Lurking Indians and 
Tories constantly harassed them in the fields, scalping 
and bearing away many prisoners. Finally, in the 
great raid of October, 1780, the whole settlement 
was laid waste ; the houses, barns, and churches 
burned, the people killed and dispersed, and a ruin 
and desolation were left. 

It was at this time that the action known as the 
Battle of Stone Arabia was fought, in which Col. John 
Brown and about fifty of his command were killed. 

^ The port of Boston was closed May 10, 1774. 

^ The five delegates chosen by New York to the 
First Continental Congress were John Jay, Philip 
Livingston, John Alsop, Isaac Low, and James 
Duane. 

' Christopher P. Yates was one of the best edu- 
cated and most active men of the Committee. He 
was a lawyer of ability and deeply interested in the 
Patriot cause. He was a Deputy to the first and 
third Provincial Congresses. Member of Assembly 
in 1774-85-88, 1800, 1801, and 1802. He was 
the first county clerk of Montgomery County, 
remaining in office from 1777 to 1800. He was 
Surrogate from 1778 to 1787. A member of the 
convention that ratified the Federal Constitution j he 
was a Regent of the University, and on the first 

[108] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



board. In 1774 he held a captain's commission, 
and was commissary of General Herkimer's brigade. 
In 1776 he was a major in the First New York. 
He went as a volunteer to Canada with General 
Montgomery, as well as raising a company of Rangers 
during the war. He was born March 29, 1750, and 
died Jan. 20, 1815. He is buried on his old farm, his 
grave neglected and uncared for. 

8 A merchant or trader living in Stone Arabia. 
His house stood on what is now the Gramps farm. 
He was a native of Alsace, and came to America in 
1707. Was an active member of the Committee of 
Safety, a delegate to the second, third, and fourth 
Provincial Congresses, a member of the first State 
Senate. He was not destined, however, to serve in 
that body, for he had gone as a volunteer with Gen- 
eral Herkimer to Oriskany, where it was his misfor- 
tune to be taken prisoner. The Indians took him 
from the guard and tortured him to death in sight of 
the other prisoners and the British officers. His son 
Peter was also killed in the same battle. A younger 
son in the after years married a sister of Washington 
Irving. 

9 The Frey family of Palatine came from Zurich, 
Switzerland, in 1688, and in 1689 bought a tract of 
land of the Mohawk Indians, on which they have 
continued to reside ever since. Major John Frey 
was the grandson of the first settler. He was born 
the 27th of April, 1740, and died the 19th of April, 
1833. He was a prime mover in inaugurating the 
Committee of Safety, and was its chairman sev- 

[ 109] 



Isaac Paris 



Major 
John Frey 



MINUTES OF THE 



eral times. His life was active, useful, and full of 
stirring incidents. His wife was a niece of General 
Herkimer, and Christopher P. Yates was his brother- 
in-law. He was educated at the Rev. Samuel Dun- 
lop's school in Cherry Valley. 

It is only possible to enumerate in a short note the 
services, both civil and military, that he rendered to 
his native County of Tryon. 

He was a lieutenant in the militia, and went with 
Sir William Johnson to Niagara in 1759. Was a 
justice of the peace before 1760 ; Justice of Ses- 
sions at the first court held at Johnstown ; commis- 
sioned a captain by the Provincial Congress, June 
28, 1775. He was the first sheriff elected in the 
county after the deposition of the Tory, White, and 
held the office from 1775 to 1777. Was one of the 
Excise Commissioners of the county. Was brigade 
major in General TenBroeck's Albany regiment July 
15, 1775, to Jan. 1776 ; brigade major under General 
Herkimer from Aug. 6, 1777, — was at Oriskany 
holding that rank when he was wounded and taken 
prisoner to Canada. He remained in Canada as a 
prisoner until Oct. 28, 1778. From 1782 onward 
until 1802, he continuously served either in the Sen- 
ate or the Assembly. He was a member of the 
Council of Appointment, a member of the conven- 
tion that ratified the Federal Constitution, one of the 
promoters of Union College, a member of the Inland 
Lock and Navigation Company, and one of the 
original members of St. Patrick's Lodge, F. A. M., 
founded at Johnstown by Sir William Johnson. 




w 

% 

K 

w 
o 

o 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



10 This man's grandfather was one of the patentees 
of the Stone Arabia tract, and for three generations 
the family had been prominent and influential. 

The Andrew Finck here mentioned was an active 
and important member of the Committee of Safety, 
his name appearing in many of the meetings. 

He was a member of Assembly in 1782, and 
Senator from 1784 to 1787. He was a lieutenant in 
the Second Regiment, N. Y., then promoted to a cap- 
taincy. He was in the Saratoga battles Sept. 7 and 
9, 1777, and present at the surrender of Burgoyne. 
In 1779 he was with his regiment at Fort Stanwix, 
and assisted the Sullivan expedition in destroying the 
Onondaga villages. In 1780 he was on the Hudson, 
and brigade major of General Clinton's brigade. On 
Jan. I, 1 78 1, he retired from the Continental army 
and returned to Stone Arabia. 

The Mohawk Valley was in sad straits at this time, 
for, as Colonel Willet wrote to Washington, " For- 
merly the militia numbered 2,500, now there are 
barely 800 capable of bearing arms." 

It was not possible for an officer of the recognized 
ability of Major Finck, and with his talent for organ- 
izing, recruiting, and drilling, to remain at home; 
therefore he returned to the service and remained to 
the end of the war. 

11 He was one of the patentees of the Harrison 
patent and contributed ;^ioo towards the building of 
the old Palatine church. His house was opposite the 
present village of Fort Plain. He was a private in 
the Second Regiment Tryon County militia. 



Andrenxj 
Finck 



id Meeting 

Andre'^ix} 
Reber 



MINUTES OF THE 



Peter 
Waggoner 



Daniel 
McDougall 

Colonel 
Jacob Klock 



George 
Backer, Jr. 



12 This family came from Hesse Darmstadt in 
1709. The name is spelled in various ways, but 
Wagner is the present spelling. Webster Wagner, 
State Senator and inventor of the sleeping-car, is 
one of the descendants of the original Johan Peter 
Waggoner. 

Peter Waggoner, the member of the Committee of 
Safety was lieutenant-colonel of the Second Regiment 
Tryon County militia and an active and efficient 
officer. He took part in the battle of Oriskany, and 
three of his sons likewise. He was one of the Har- 
rison patentees, and contributed ^100 towards the 
Palatine church. The old stone house in which he 
lived, and which was one of the strongholds in the 
Revolution, is still standing. 

1^ An enlisted man in the Second Regiment Tryon 
County militia. 

1* He was the colonel of the Second Regiment 
Tryon County militia, and a good and efficient 
officer. Some of the Committee meetings were 
held at his house, called Fort Klock, which is still 
standing to the east of St. Johnsville. The family 
had various branches in Tryon County. 

15 The Eacker family was a large one at the time 
of the Revolution, as the original settler had twenty- 
one children. The name is spelled in a variety of 
ways. There were in the service in various capaci- 
ties Eackers, Eakers, Eccors, Ackers, Eckers, &c. 

In " New York in the Revolution " there is a pri- 
vate in Colonel Kock's regiment of this name. Jacob 
Eacker was quartermaster of the same regiment. It 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



was one of this family who killed Philip Hamilton in 
a duel in 1801. 

^^ The first man of this name was granted a 
patent in 1716, in the Palatine District, by his Indian 
relatives, his grandmother being a " Right Mohogs 
Squaw." Whether it was the patentee or his son 
who was the member of the Committee is uncertain. 
He was nominated as major in Colonel Klock's regi- 
ment, and went to Oriskany with General Herkimer, 
where he was killed. 

^"^ There were twenty-eight men by the name of 
Fox in the service. The member of the Committee 
was a captain in the militia and was wounded at 
Oriskany. 

^^ Anthony Van Vechten was the adjutant in Colo- 
nel Klock's regiment and succeeded Major Frey as 
sheriff of Tryon County. Abraham Van Vechten, 
the celebrated lawyer, of Albany, was probably his son, 
as he began his practice at Palatine, having his office 
at Major Frey's house. 

^^ The " one family " spoken of is of course the 
Johnson family. Sir William at this time had been 
dead nearly a year. Col. Guy Johnson, his nephew 
and son-in-law, was superintendent of Indian affairs 
and lived at Guy Park. Sir John, at his father's 
death, had left Mount Johnson, and was living at 
Johnson Hall ; and Daniel Claus, his brother-in-law, 
occupied Claus Manor, between Guy Park and Mount 
Johnson. They were by far the most wealthy and 
influential family in Tryon County and controlled a 
powerful following of tenants and retainers around 



Major 
Harmanus 
Van Slyck 



Captain 
Christopher 
W. Fox 



Anthony 
Van Vechten 



jrd Meeting 

Johnson 
Family 



[8] 



["3] 



MINUTES OF THE 



Moha'vok 
District 



Johnson 
Hall 



Colonel 
Johnson 

Highlanders 



4th Meeting 

Sunday 

Meeting 



Philip W. 
Fox 



Johnstown and other sections of the Mohawk Dis- 
trict, as well as all the Indian tribes. 

^^ The Mohawk District contained all the territory 
east of a north and south line of Anthony's Nose, or 
" Nose Hill " as it is now known, on both sides of 
the Mohawk. The meeting spoken of was the one 
referred to in Stone's " Life of Brant," at Caughne- 
waga, where a large number of patriots had assembled 
to erect a liberty pole. This meeting was broken up 
by Sir John and Col. Guy Johnson, one of the fiery 
Whigs, Jacob Sammons, being knocked down and 
maltreated, thereby bearing the first revolutionary scars 
in Tryon County. 

21 The well known and often described home of 
Sir William Johnson at Johnstown, the scene of 
much grandeur and festivity as well as many of the 
more celebrated Indian councils. 

22 Guy Johnson, of Guy Park, had married his 
cousin Mary Johnson, daughter of Sir William. 

^^ Sir William had induced many Roman Catholic 
Highlanders to emigrate, and they were settled as ten- 
ants on his great estates in Perth, Broadalbin, Galway, 
Johnstown, and other parts of the Kingsboro tract. 

2* The members of the Committee living in Cherry 
Valley were Scotch Presbyterians, very strict in their 
ideas of religious observances, and they wrote a vig- 
orous letter protesting against holding meetings on the 
Sabbath. It may be found in the " Annals of Tryon 
County." 

25 This man lived at Palatine Church on the east 
side of the Garoga Creek. 

[1.4] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



26 The original letters which are here copied from 
the " Annals of Tryon county " were among the 
papers which Judge Wm. W. Campbell obtained 
from Major John Frey. Judge Campbell was largely 
indebted to these papers for information in regard to 
the period of which he wrote. Doubtless the pro- 
ceedings of the Committee after that time were also 
included in the " Corn Basketfull " of which he 
speaks in his preface. It has always been a subject 
of regret to Major Frey's descendants that these old 
papers were not returned to the family when Camp- 
bell had no further use for them. As it is, they ap- 
pear to be lost, for a diligent search has failed to show 
what became of them. 

A letter from some Mohawks to the Oneidas trans- 
lated into English reads as follows : 

"Written at Guy Johnson's, May 1775. 

"This is your letter, you great ones, or Sachems, 
Guy Johnson says he will be glad if you get this 
intelligence, you Oneidas, how it goes with him 
now, and he is now more certain concerning the in- 
tention of the Boston people. Guy Johnson is in 
great fear of being taken prisoner by the Bostonians. 
We Mohawks. are obliged to watch him constantly. 
Therefore we send you this intelligence that you shall 
know it, and Guy Johnson assures himself and de- 
pends upon you coming to his assistance, and that 
you will without fail be of that opinion. He believes 
not that you will consent to let him suffer. We 
therefore expect you in a couple of days time. So 



Letter from 
the MohuHJok 
Indians 



MINUTES OF THE 



Stk Meeting 
Canajoharie 



Kingsland 



much at present. We send, but so far to you Oneidas, 
but afterward perhaps to all the other nations. We 
conclude and expect that you will have concern about 
our ruler, Guy Johnson, because we are all united." 

This letter was signed by Joseph Brant and three 
other chiefs. 

2^ In the division of Try on County the District of 
Canajoharie was that section bounded on the north by 
the Mohawk river and lying between " Nose Hill " 
and " Fall Hill " and extending to the south line of 
the county. It included the settlements of Cherry 
Valley, Charlott river, and others, afterwards known 
as the " Old England District." 

Originally the section known as Canajoharie was 
on the north side of the river, taking its name from 
the Mohawk village of Can-a-jor-ha. Previous to 
and during Sir William Johnson's time what was 
generally known as Canajoharie was an indefinite 
section lying on the south side of the river around the 
" Castle of Can-a-jo-har-ees," or *' Upper Castle of 
the Mohawks," at Indian Castle in the town of 
Danube, and by the time of the Revolution this 
thickly settled section had extended eastward to " Fort 
Plain," where there was a church near the fort, which 
bore on its corporate seal "The Reformed Dutch 
Church of Canajoharie." The Canajoharie of the 
Revolution and the modern village of that name 
should not be confounded. 

29 In 1769 the king gave to Sir William Johnson 
sixty-six thousand acres of land on the north side 
of the Mohawk between the East and West Canada 

["6] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



creeks ; it was known as the " Royal Grant," or 
Kingsland, and gave the name to that district of 
Try on County. 

^^ German Flats was the most western district on 
the south side of the river, and was settled by German 
Palatines, the patent bearing date 1723. Nine thou- 
sand one hundred and eighty-six acres were granted to 
ninety-two farmers, the land being on both sides of 
the river. It lies mostly in the present towns of 
Herkimer and German Flats. 

^1 There were twelve Seebers in the service ; four 
were killed and two wounded at Oriskany, the 
William Seeber, member of the Committee, being one 
of the killed. His house, at which so many of the 
meetings were held, was on " Sand Hill " not far from 
the church. The next year the Government erected 
a palisaded stronghold at this point and named it 
"Fort Plain." In 1780 and 1781 a block house was 
built a short distance to the north, and this was in all 
probability the " Fort Rensselaer " mentioned in the 
court-martial proceedings against Gen. Robert Van 
Rensselaer. 

^ Johan Jost Herkimer, the General's father, was 
one of the patentees of German Flats, but the 
General had bought a farm to the eastward of " Fall 
Hill," on which he had built the brick house which is 
still standing. He was therefore in the Canajoharie 
District. 

The Herkimer family were probably, next to the 
Johnsons, the most influential family in the valley. 
John Jost had thirteen children, and they were all 

[117] 



German 
Flats 



Major 

William 

Seeber 



General 
Nicholas 
Herkimer 



MINUTES OF THE 



Colonel 

Ebenezer 

Cox 



Dawd Cox 



John Moore 



John Pickert 



married but one j many of them had larger families, 
so it can readily be seen that at the time of the 
Revolution they were connected with nearly every 
prominent family of the valley. It is not strange, 
therefore, that the family was divided, and that some 
were Whigs and some were Tories. 

^^ Ebenezer Cox was one of the colonels of the 
First Regiment Tryon County militia. He was killed 
in the battle of Oriskany and is the one referred to in 
a song of the period : 

"Brave Herkimer, our General, 's dead 
And Colonel Cox is slain. 
And many more and valiant men 
We ne'er shall see again." 

^* David Cox was probably a brother of Colonel 
Cox ; but his name does not appear in any regiment. 

^ John Moore was a resident of Cherry Valley. 
He is said by the historian of that place to have been 
its most prominent citizen. DisquaHfied by reason of 
lameness from being a soldier, he filled many civil 
positions with ability and honor. He was a delegate 
from Tryon County to all of the Provincial Con- 
gresses ; a member of the State Committee of Safety, 
and of the Provincial Assembly. In the massacre of 
Cherry Valley his wife and three daughters were 
among the prisoners taken to Canada. Moore him- 
self was absent from home at the time. 

^^ There was a John Pickert, an ensign in the First 
Regiment Tryon County, and a John Pickard, who 
was quartermaster of the same regiment. 



w-^ 



>^^^^' 



•'■ i!Vi'iS 




< 



< 
o 

w 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



37 Concerning Edward Wall, of the German Flats 
District, little is known. His name appears and he 
seems to have been an active member. 

38 Dr. William Petry was surgeon in Col. John 
Harper's regiment of levies, as well as in several 
others. He was in the Oriskany fight, and was 
wounded, but not severely. He dressed General 
Herkimer's wounds on the battlefield and returned 
home with the remnant of the troops. He was a 
member of Assembly in 1782 and 1783. 

39 Jacob Weaver was one of the patentees of the 
German P'lats. He belonged to the Second Regiment 
Tryon County militia, and took part in the battle of 
Oriskany. 

^^ Of this member of the committee no information 
is obtainable. He appears, however, to have been a 
man of influence. 

*^ Lieut. Marcus Petry was killed at the battle of 
Oriskany. 

*2 There were ten Petrys in the Fourth Regiment 
Tryon County militia, — John Petry being one of 
them, who was killed at Oriskany. 

*3 George Wents appears as a private in Col. 
Peter Bellinger's regiment, the Fourth Tryon County 
militia, and also as second lieutenant. 

** John Frank also was in the same regiment, 
and appears to have been a pensioner after the 
war. 

*^ Frederick Fox likewise was in the same regi- 
ment. In fact practically the whole of German 
Flats and Kingsland, regardless of station, wealth, 

["9] 



Ednvard 
fTall 



William 
Petry 



Jacob 
Wea'ver 



Duncan 
McDougall 



Marcus 
Petry 

John Petry 



George 
Wents 



John Frank 



Frederick 
Fox 



MINUTES OF THE 



Augustinus 
Hess 

Michael 
Ittig 

Frederick 
Ahrendorf 

George 
Herkimer 



Speech to 
the Oneidas 



Warner 
Dygert 



Sth Meeting 
Adam Fonda 



position, name, or nationality, were embarked heart 
and soul in the Patriot cause. 

*6 Augustinus Hess was in Colonel Bellinger's regi- 
ment at Oriskany and was a pensioner after the war. 

*'' Michael Ittig was a captain in Col. Bellinger's 
regiment, the Fourth Tryon County militia. 

*s Frederick Ahrendorf was a private in Colonel 
Bellinger's regiment. 

4^ There were five Herkimers in Colonel Bellinger's 
regiment. George Herkimer, next to his brother 
General Nicholas, was the most prominent patriot of 
that numerous family. He was a captain in the 
Eighth Company Fourth Battalion Tryon County 
militia and was at the battle of Oriskany. He was 
an influential and active member of the Committee 
of Safety. He had a large family of children, and 
many Mohawk Valley families are connected with 
the Herkimers through him. 

^*^ These two speeches are not to be found, as the 
" Indian page " of the records is lost. Neither are 
they printed in any of the local histories. 

^1 Warner Dygert married Magdalena, sister of 
General Herkimer, and General Herkimer's first wife 
was Dygert's sister. He was a prominent patriot and 
a member of the Committee of Safety. He kept a tav- 
ern at the foot of the " Fall Hill," where he was killed 
by an Indian in 1780 and one of his sons at the same 
time taken prisoner. There were twelve Dygerts In 
the service. 

^2 There were fifty men of this name in the ser- 
vice ; the name was spelled in various ways. In fact 

[ 120] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



this phonetic and careless way of spelling family 
names is confusing and misleading in studying the 
history of the time. Adam Fonda was in Colonel 
Fisher's regiment, the Third Tryon County. He 
was also a member of the " Associated Exempts." 
He was at Oriskany. At the twenty-second meet- 
ing of the Committee he was nominated as lieutenant- 
colonel of Colonel Visscher's regiment. 

^^ Colonel Vedder was a prominent officer. He was 
lieutenant-colonel of the Fifth Albany militia, and 
then of the Third Tryon County militia. His 
name appears to be spelled both Veeder and Vedder. 
There were seventy-five men in the service by the 
name of Vedder and Veeder. 

^ The Sammons family were leading men in the 
Mohawk District and were bold and outspoken patri- 
ots. Sampson Sammons, the member of the Com- 
mittee, was the father of that Jacob Sammons who 
bore the first scars in the conflict in the Mohawk 
Valley, and who, while a prisoner in Canada, kept a 
journal detailing the horrors and the hardships he 
endured. Both he and his father took part in the 
Oriskany Battle, and in 1780 their house was burned 
by Sir John Johnson in one of the raids of that 
year. The elder Sammons was an ensign in the 
Tryon County militia, " Associated Exempts." He 
was the first tenant of Johnson Hall after Sir John 
went to Canada. 

^^ John Marlatt was a Deputy to the first Pro- 
vincial Congress, May to November, 1775. A 
man of that name was a private in Colonel Fisher's 



Lt.-Col. 
Volkert 
Vedder 



Sampson 
Sammons 



John 
Marlatt 



MINUTES OF THE 



Abraham 
Yates 



Colonel 

Frederick 

Visscher 



The first 
^^ boycott'"'' 



yth Meeting 



regiment. It may well have been the committee- 
man. 

^ There is no definite information as to which 
Abraham Yates this was ; there were several of the 
name in the service. It was a large and influential 
family in Albany, Schenectady, and in Tryon County. 

^7 Frederick Visscher — or, as it is spelled in " New 
York in the Revolution," Fisher — was commissioned 
by Congress as colonel of the Third Regiment, Tryon 
County militia, and later as colonel of the Third 
Regiment, " Land Bounty Rights." He was of Hol- 
land descent, the family coming to America in 1649. 

He was with his regiment at Oriskany, and it was 
through no fault of his that his men were seized with 
the panic that has so often been written about. He 
was a brave and efficient officer and did what he could 
to rally his frightened men. 

In the raid of May 1780, he was scalped and nearly 
lost his life ; two of his brothers were killed, his house 
burned, and his property stolen. He was one of the 
judges of the county, the fourth in succession, chosen 
in 1787 and serving till 1801. His homestead is now 
owned by Alfred DeGrafF, the fifth in descent from 
Colonel Visscher. 

^3 This is the first *' boycott " on record, at least 
in this part of the State of New York. It shows how 
intense and strained the relations were between the 
Whig and Tory factions, and how rapidly the " inevi- 
table conflict " was approaching. 

^^ There were two colonels in the First Regi- 
ment Tryon County militia, according to " New 

[ 122] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



York in the Revolution," — Campbell, and Eben- 
ezer Cox. The regiment was at Oriskany, and 
Cox being killed, Colonel Campbell was in com- 
mand and brought off the regiment, or what was 
left of it. 

He was also colonel of a battalion of "Minute 
Men," presumably a local organization for the protec- 
tion of Cherry Valley. The family was Scotch-Irish, 
and came to Cherry Valley with several other in 1741 
from New Hampshire. 

In the massacre of Cherry Valley, Mrs. Campbell 
and her four children were among the prisoners, and 
were not exchanged until 1780. Colonel Campbell 
died in 1824, aged 86 years. Judge William W. 
Campbell, the author of the " Annals of Tryon 
County," was his grandson, and Douglas Campbell, 
author of " The Puritan in Holland, England, and 
America," his great-grandson. 

60 Samuel Clyde of Cherry Valley was commissioned 
lieutenant-colonel of the First Regiment Tryon 
County militia, but was raised afterward to the rank 
of colonel. He was a very efficient officer, and 
rendered valuable aid to the cause throughout the 
war. He was in command at Fort Plain in 1783, 
when Washington was there on his way to Fort 
Stanwix and Otsego Lake. 

In the massacre of Cherry Valley, Colonel Clyde's 
whole family escaped by hiding in the woods. 

He was in the Assembly in 1777 and 1778 and 
sheriff in 1785 to 1789. 

61 No information is obtainable in regard to 

[ 123 ] 



Colonel 
Samuel 
Campbell 



Colonel 
Samuel 
Clyde 



Thomas 
Henry 



MINUTES OF THE 



Lieutenant 
John Pickert 

John Bli'uen 



Abraham 
Van Horn 



William 
Schuyler 



James 
McMarten 



Daniel Lane 



Frederick 
Hellmer 



Thomas Henry. He was probably a Cherry Valley 
man. 

^^ John Pickert was an ensign in the First Regi- 
ment Tryon County. (See note 36.) 

^^ There was a Major John Bliven killed at Oris- 
kany, but the name does not appear in the official 
roster of New York soldiers. This indicates that an 
accurate list has not yet been made of all the men 
furnished by New York to the Revolutionary armies. 

There can be little doubt that the John Bliven 
killed at Oriskany was the committeeman. 

^ Abraham Van Horn was the quartermaster of the 
Third Tryon County militia, and probably a private 
in the Third Regiment, " Land Bounty Rights." He 
served in the Assembly in the ist, 2d, 4th, and 9th 
sessions, and was sheriff of Montgomery County from 
1781 to 1785. 

65 William Schuyler was an enlisted man in the 
Third Regiment Tryon County militia, " Land Bounty 
Rights." 

6^ There were two men by the name of James 
McMarten in Colonel Visscher's regiment, the Third 
Tryon County militia, — one a lieutenant, the other a 
private. 

^"^ An enlisted man by the name of Daniel Lane 
was in Colonel Visscher's regiment. 

6^ Captain Frederick Helmer is among those re- 
ported killed at Oriskany. There was a man by this 
name in Colonel Bellinger's regiment, the Fourth 
Tryon County militia, and one likewise who survived 
the war and became a pensioner. 



[ 124] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



^^ That part of the Mohawk District lying imme- 
diately around Johnstown was entirely controlled by 
the Johnsons. 

70 The letter spoken of is as follows : 

Guy Park, May 20, 1775. 

Gentlemen : — I have lately had repeated ac- 
counts that a body of New Englanders or others were 
to come to seise and carry away my person and at- 
tack our family under color of malicious insinuations, 
that I intended to set the Indians upon the people. 
Men of sense and character know that my office is of 
the highest importance to promote peace amongst the 
Six Nations and prevent their entering into any such 
disputes. This I effected last year, when they were 
much vexed about the attack made upon the Sha- 
wanese, and I last winter appointed them to meet me 
this month to receive the answer of the Virginians. 
All men must allow that if the Indians find their 
Council fire disturbed, and their Superintendent in- 
sulted, they will take a dreadful revenge. It is there- 
fore the duty of all people to prevent this, and to 
satisfy any who may have been imposed on, that their 
suspicions and the allegation they have collected 
against me, are false and inconsistent with my char- 
acter, and office. I recommend this to you as highly 
necessary at this time, as my regard for the interest 
of the country, and self preservation has obliged me 
to fortify my house and keep men armed for my 
defence, till these idle and ridiculous reports are 
removed. 



Part of the 

Mohaivk 

District 

Letter of 
Guy Johnson 



MINUTES OF THE 



Letter of 
Guy Johnson 



Guy John- 
son letter 
from Cosby^s 
Manor 



You may lay this letter before such as are inter- 
ested in these matters. 

I am Gentlemen 

Your Humble Servant 

G. Johnson. 
To the Magistrates 
and others of Palatine, 
Canajoharie and the 
Upper Districts. 

At the same time he wrote to the authorities of 
Albany and Schenectady. In the Minutes of the 
Committee of Safety of the latter place, the receipt 
of this letter is acknowledged. It is of about the 
same purport as the other, and can be found in 
Stone's " Life of Brant," page 67. He was probably 
warranted in his fear of capture, for notwithstanding 
his denials, he was secretly using all of his persuasion 
to induce the Indians to espouse the cause of the 
King. The Council spoken of in the letter met at 
Guy Park on the 25th of May, 1775, but it was 
sparsely attended, and so Johnson appointed another 
to meet in the upper part of county, and it was 
ostensibly to be present at that council that Johnson 
left Guy Park and moved up the valley to a Mr. 
Thompson's on Cosby's Manor, above the German 
Flats. His real intentions, however, were evident, 
for he took his whole family and a great retinue with 
him. 

■^1 The answer to this letter of the Committee can 
be found in Stone's " Life of Brant," page 74, Vol. I, 
and in the " Annals of Tryon County," page 47. It 

file] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



is dated Cosby 's Manor, June 5, 1775, and is 
strangely in contrast with the truth, and with Colonel 
Johnson's actions both before and after the date of 
the letter. He soon went to Canada with some of 
the Mohawks, and neither he nor they ever returned 
to their native valley in peace. 

'^2 This " Congress " was not held, and it is evi- 
dent that there was no intention of holding one j 
Colonel Johnson's measures were all complete, and 
he was at this time on his way to Fort Stanwix, 
Oswego, and Montreal. 

''^ The general organization of the Tryon County 
militia took place Aug. 26, 1775. The list as com- 
pleted may be found in the " Calendar of Revo- 
lutionary Papers," Vol. I, and also in Simm's 
"Frontiersmen of New York," Vol. I, page 530. 

7* Gose, or Gosen, Van Alstyne was a Hollander, 
— a trader, farmer, innkeeper, and miller. His house, 
located on what was then known as Scrembling's 
Kill, now the Canajoharie Creek, was central in its 
location. It was convenient for all districts, and so 
it was here that many meetings of the Committee 
were held. The house still stands, and is a fair 
sample of the houses of that day. When it was 
built, probably 1740 or 1750, it was the only house 
in what is now the village of Canajoharie. 

''^ John Eisenlord, a native of Germany, came to 
Tryon County in 1765. He signs his name as 
"Secretary" of the Committee, in December, 1776. 
He was killed at Oriskany. He seems to have been 
the second major in the Fourth Regiment militia. 



8i/i Meeting 

Indian 
Council at 
Cosby'' s 
Manor 



Organizing 

of the 

Militia 

Regiments 



gth Meeting 

Gose Van 
Alstyne 



nth Meeting 

John 
Eisenlord 



[ 127] 



MINUTES OF THE 



1 2th Meeting 

Rudolph 
Shoemaker 



Jost Her- 
kimer y Jr. 



John 
Thompson 



ijth Meeting 

Oneida and 

Tuscarora 

Indians 



There is an obscurity about him, for although he 
appears in the roster of Oriskany among the killed, 
there appears a Major John Eisenlord among the 
pensioners, in " New York in the Revolution." 

"'^ Rudolph Shoemaker was one of the patentees of 
the German Flats. At this time he was an old man. 
He had three children : Han Yost, who was the first 
major in the German Flats Regiment ; Rudolph, Jr., 
a captain in the same regiment, and who was at 
Oriskany, though but a mere boy of fifteen ; and 
Anna Gertrude, who married, first. Lieutenant Mathew 
Wormuth, who was killed by Brant near Cherry 
Valley ; and, second. Major John Frey, after he 
returned from imprisonment in Canada. Rudolph 
Shoemaker, Senior., married Gertrude Herkimer, a 
sister of General Nicholas Herkimer. There were 
twelve Shoemakers in the service. 

"^"^ This Jost Herkimer, Jr., must be John Jost, a 
brother of the General, and if so, after this a Tory, who 
went to Canada, and lost his property by confiscation. 

''^ It is not possible to determine which Thompson 
this was, there were so many in the service. It is 
probable, however, that he was the Mr. Thompson 
who lived on Cosby's Manor. 

'^^ Why the names of the committeemen present 
at this important meeting are not given is not known. 
It was through the influence of the Rev. Samuel 
Kirkland, missionary to the Oneidas, that the Oneidas 
and Tuscaroras were prevailed upon not to follow 
the guidance of Guy Johnson. Congress had re- 
solved to hold a general conference with the Indians 

[128] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



at Albany, and Kirkland was at this time very active 
in bringing all the tribes to attend. In the minutes 
of the Schenectady Committee of Safety, 23d of 
June, 1775, they say that "the Rev. Sam'l Kirkland, 
with five Oneida Indians, waited on this board and 
informed us that they were going to Albany to speak 
to the Committee there." John Roseboom, one of 
the Schenectady Committee, was sent to accompany 
Kirkland to Albany, and on the 27th of June they 
returned with two of the Albany delegates. These 
were Turbot Francis and Volkert P. Douw, Commis- 
sioners appointed by Congress to attend the Indian 
council about to be held. Two members of the 
Schenectady Committee of Safety were chosen to ac- 
company them, Hugh Mitchell and Abraham Oat- 
hout. Preliminary to the general council to be held 
at Albany, this " Meeting Extraordinary " was held at 
the house of Frederick Bellinger in the German Flats 
District. Some of the speeches made on this occa- 
sion may be found in Stone's " Life of Brant," and 
Campbell's " Annals of Tryon County," where also 
the proceedings of the Albany council, held the 23d 
of August, are recorded. This was the last Indian 
council ever held in Albany. 

80 There were seven Bellingers in Col. Peter Bel- 
linger's regiment, the Fourth Tryon County militia, 
Frederick Bellinger being one of them. He was at 
Oriskany, and taken prisoner to Canada. 

81 William Cunningham was a private in Col. 
Klock's regiment. Marcus Ittig should probably be 
Michael Ittig, one of the committeemen. 



Frederick 
Bellinger 

( See Note lib) 



William 
Cunningham 



[9] 



[ 129] 



MINUTES OF THE 



T^th Meeting 

North 
Germantoiun 



Names of 
disaffected 
persons 



^2 North Germantown was north of Little Falls, 
back from the river. (See Simm's " Frontiersmen of 
New York," Vol. I, page 511.) 

^2 Fort Stanwix, originally built in 1758 at great 
cost, was at this time decayed and almost useless. 
There were a few settlers in the vicinity. It was the 
very outpost of civilization, and the settlers realized 
their danger. The call they made on the Committee 
of Tryon County for aid was referred by the Com- 
mittee to the Committee of Schenectady. It was re- 
ceived by them on the 14th of July, as appears in 
their Record of that date, viz. : 

" Received a letter from Christopher P. Yates, 
Chairman of Tryon County, informing this board of 
the supposed danger that county was in of being 
invaded by the Indians, and desiring assistance : 

" This board having taken the contents of said 
letter into consideration, and being unable to afford 
any assistance, 

" Resolved to enclose said letter in one from this 
Board to the Committee of Albany for their perusal." 

This seems to have been the end of it : and it is 
not strange, for there was no organization as yet, 
civil or military. It was all excitement and chaos, 
and little realization as yet of the fearful danger that 
threatened not only those few settlers at Fort Stanwix, 
but the whole valley as well. 

^* The names, as far as we know, have not come 
down to us, but a perfect list, could it be made, would 
contain the names of most of the families in Tryon 
County. There were exceptions, but there were a 

[ 130] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



very large number of the families divided, disrupted, 
and permanently estranged by the war. 

85 The Mohawks at this time had but two " Castles," 
the " Lower Mohawk Castle," at Fort Hunter, and 
" The Castle of the Can-a-jo-har-ees," or " Upper 
Castle of the Mohawks," at Indian Castle, in what is 
now the town of Danube, in Herkimer County. 
They were known as " Castles " but this was merely 
a survival from the early days, when their palisaded 
strongholds were called " Castles " by the white man. 

This " Canajoharie Castle " was more like a white 
man's village than an Indian village : the houses were 
framed buildings, had doors and windows, chimneys 
and fireplaces, and were comfortably furnished. They 
had at this time little to eat, for in the summer of 
1775 they were kept in a state of unrest by the John- 
son family, and by the Committee of Safety ; and 
instead of hunting and fishing, and planting corn and 
beans, they attended councils. Besides, where in the 
old days they owned all the valley, and had in store 
much corn and other things, now the white man 
owned the land, and doled out " flower, pease, Ind'n 
Corn, Bread, pork, and money," to these " Konoshi- 
oni," to these Men before all others. 

" Old Brant " lived here, and his children, Joseph 
and Molly, and it had been the home of old King 
Hendrick. The Mohawks were not numerous at 
this time, and it is evident that but few of them had 
as yet followed Guy Johnson to Canada. 

^ Peter S. Tygert was a private in Colonel Klock's 
regiment. 



13th Meeting 



Canajoharie 
Castle 



l6th Meeting 
Peter 'Tygert 



MINUTES OF THE 



"Joseph Brant 



Walter 
Butler 



Fort Hunter 



^"^ It is hardly necessary in these notes to say any- 
thing of Joseph Brant ; so much has been written 
of him that it would be a mere repetition. A full 
blooded Mohawk of the Bear clan, a chief of his tribe, 
an Iroquois of unusual ability, the brother-in-law 
of Sir William Johnson, his intercourse with the 
whites, and his partial education naturally made him a 
leader of his people. He combined in a large degree 
the ferocity of the savage with the milder humanities 
of the better class of white men. He is to be judged, 
not from a partisan viewpoint, for while in the 
Mohawk Valley he was execrated, at Brantford, in 
Canada, where he lies buried, a monument was erected 
to his memory, lauding his virtues and recounting his 
noble deeds. That he wrought havoc along the 
borders of Tryon County there is no question; it 
was his native way of fighting ; neither is there any 
question but he was better than those painted white 
men, natives also of the valley, who emulated their 
Indian allies in all their fiendish deeds. 

^^ Walter Butler ! what shall be said of this man ? 
his name and his deeds are as well known as are those 
of Joseph Brant. Son of the man who organized 
" Butler's Rangers," the companion of Sir John and 
Col. Guy Johnson, he out-Heroded Herod in his 
cruelty, and in his persistent animosity to his old 
neighbors in Tryon County. 

^^ Fort Hunter was built in the reign of Queen 
Anne to protect the Mohawks and the settlements 
of Schenectady and Albany from the " French of 
Canada." 



[ 132 ] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



It was near the mouth of the Schoharie Creek, 
where it enters the Mohawk, and close to the lower 
village of the Mohawk Indians, who for many years 
had been located on different sites near this point. 
One of these, Os-se-ru-e-non, is supposed to be the 
place where the Jesuit missionary, Isaac Jogues, was 
killed in 1646, and the supposed location is now 
marked by the shrine at Auriesville. 

Inside the fort was a church, and a missionary to 
preach to the Indians the gospel of Christ, and to 
teach to their children the catechism. 

The fort is gone, many years ago, but the parson- 
age still stands, built in 1712, and is the oldest house 
in the valley, west of Schenectady. 

9° This is that remarkable and picturesque fall in 
the Mohawk River caused by an " uplift " of the 
granitic rocks. It was known by various names, 
the "Little Carrying place," to distinguish it from the 
" Great Carrying place," at Fort Stanwix, between 
the Mohawk and Wood Creek. It was also called 
" The Canajoharie Falls," being only a short dis- 
tance from the Indian village of that name at Indian 
Castle. The present " Canajoharie Falls," on the 
creek of that name, was not so called at that 
time. This stream was then know as " Scremb- 
ling's Kill " for several miles from where it entered 
the Mohawk; then "Bowman's Creek," as it 
wound its way through the Ames Valley ; and 
from there on to its source, Te-ka-ha-ra-wa, the 
aboriginal name at an early day for the whole 
stream. 

[ ^33 ] 



Little Falls 



MINUTES OF THE 



Expresses 



J 8th Meeting 

Major 
Ten Broeck 



John Kayser 



igth Meeting 
John Petry 

?oth Meeting 

Caroga 
Creek 



East Canada 
Creek 



Joseph 
Maby 



^1 These " Expresses " were either by swift runners 
or on horseback. 

^2 There were twenty-three Ten Broecks in the 
service. There was a Major Samuel Ten Broeck 
in the Tenth Albany Regiment. He was afterwards 
in the Assembly for two terms. 

^3 The Kaysers, or Keysers, were quite a prom- 
inent family in the northern part of the Kingsland 
District. There was a fortified house to the north 
of Palatine Bridge called "Fort Keyser." 

^* There was a John Petry in the Fourth Regiment 
Tryon County militia. 

^° The Garoga, or Caroga, Creek has its head waters 
in a small lake, about eighteen miles from the 
Mohawk. It is the first lake of the Adirondacks, 
going north from this point in the valley. The 
stream is rapid and picturesque, its channel cut deeply 
in many places into the Utica slate. On its banks is 
the site of one of the prehistoric aboriginal villages, 
and also one of the later period of Mohawk occupa- 
tion. The stream enters the Mohawk near the old 
Palatine church. 

^6 The East Canada Creek is a much larger stream 
than the Garoga, and has for its sources a large 
number of beautiful lakes. 

On an old map there are numerous streams to 
which the name " Canada " is applied, but only two 
now retain the name, the East Canada and the West 
Canada. 

^7 Joseph Maby was a private in the First Regiment 
Tryon County Militia (Land Bounty Rights). 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



98 There is no information in regard to Henry 
Heintz, the new member of the Committee. 

9» Christian Nellis belonged to a large and influ- 
ential family of the Palatine District, one of the 
patentees of the Harrison tract. He lived to the 
eastward of St. Johnsville, and his house was some- 
what fortified and called Fort Nellis. He contributed 
sixty pounds towards the erection of the old Palatine 
church. He, or a son of the same name, was an 
enlisted man in the First Regiment Tryon County 
militia, and in the Second Regiment " Land Bounty 
Rights." He was a member of Assembly, sixth 
session. 

100 William Fox, Jr., was a lieutenant in the Second 
Regiment Tryon County militia. 

101 John J. Clock was in the service, but little is 
known of him ; it was a numerous family. 

102 John Demoth was an enlisted man in the Fourth 
Regiment. It was a numerous German Flats family. 

103 See note 44. 

10* Frederick Fox belonged to the Fourth Regi- 
ment. In the third session, 1779 and 1780, he was 
a member of the Assembly from Tryon County. 

The twelfth meeting of the Committee was held 
at his house in the Kingsland District, as mentioned 
in note 45. 

105 The implement of that time called a " sith " 
was of two kinds. Neither one of them was a 
scythe such as is used in cutting grass. The " brush 
sith" was a short curved blade six or eight inches 
long, attached to a straight handle with a knob or 



Henry 
Heintz, 

Christian 
Nellis 



William 
Fox, Jr. 

John J. 
Clock 

John Demoth 



Frederick 
Fox 



Sith 



[135] 



MINUTES OF THE 



Alexander 
White 



John Fonda 



cross piece at the end. It was a very effective tool 
for cutting brush or thistles. 

The other " sith " was used more especially for 
cutting peas ; the blade was two or three feet in 
length, curved, narrow and slender, attached to a 
short straight handle. In his left hand the reaper 
carried a tool for raising up and rolling the peas into 
bundles ; it was a slender piece of ash or hickory, 
with an iron finger six inches long, fastened at right 
angles to the handle. 

1^ Alexander White was the first sheriff of Tryon 
County, and held the office from March i6, 1772, to 
September, 1775. He was an outspoken loyalist, 
and a bitter partisan. His acts became so obnoxious 
to the Committee that at the expiration of his com- 
mission, they thought it well " to have a free voting 
for a new sheriff." John Frey was elected, and 
White took his way to Canada. 

It depended of course on results whether this 
drastic and illegal proceeding was revolution leading 
to honor, or rebellion leading to disgrace and the 
gallows. 

The Committee knew this, and had pondered it 
well, and were firmly grounded in the belief that all 
government was, or ought to be, vested in the people 
and not in kings, and they were ready to establish 
this belief at all hazards in America. 

107 John Fonda was a prominent member of this 
large and patriotic family. There were forty-five 
Fondas in the service. A man of that name was a 
tax collector in 1764. The amount levied on the 

[136] 




CO 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Mohawk Valley in that year was ;^6o7.i9, and paid 
to the Commissioners in Albany. 

He was in Colonel Visscher's regiment, and 
also a member of the Tryon County " Associated 
Exempts." 

Sheriff White lived on the site of the present old 
court house in Fonda, and John Fonda a little to the 
eastward. 

The sequel to the affray about which John Fonda 
testified before the Committee was, that he was ar- 
rested and locked up in the Johnstown jail, hearing 
of which, many of his Whig friends went there one 
night and set him at liberty, and at the same time 
made an attempt to arrest the sheriff. He fired into 
the crowd, and many shots were exchanged, but he 
made his escape. He was afterwards captured and 
imprisoned at Albany. Finally, in 1783 he was 
banished by the Committee, and sent within the 
enemy's lines. 

1^^ The County jail is the one still standing in the 
city of Johnstown. It was built by Sir William 
Johnson, and claimed by Sir John as his private 
property, but the Committee disallowed the claim. 

^^^ The Committee of Safety had by this time as- 
sumed all authority in civil and military affairs. The 
old order of things with them had passed away. 
There was no more talk of fealty to King George ; 
the lines were drawn ; Tories and Whigs ; Loyalists 
and Patriots. As the courts and Judges and officers 
of the old militia were King's men, the Committee 
assumed to take their place. It was revolution in 

[ 137 ] 



Jail 



Assumption 
of authority 
by the 
Committee 



MINUTES OF THE 



Adam 
Bellinger 



John Smith 



Jacob 
Staring 

Sir William 
Johnson" s 
settlement 



Robert 
Wells 



the Mohawk Valley as certainly as what was going 
on at the same time at Lexington and Concord and 
Bunker Hill was revolution in Massachusetts, but 
the world has not heard so much about it. If there 
was merit in such action, if it was praiseworthy to 
organize revolution, are not the men of remote 
Tryon County worthy of as much honor and praise 
as those men who " fired the shot heard round 
the world " ? 

^1^ Adam Bellinger was a lieutenant in Col. Clock's 
regiment, and present at Oriskany. He was prob- 
ably a grandson of Col. Peter Bellinger, who married 
Delia Herkimer. 

m As there were two hundred and fifty-nine 
Smiths in the New York service, it is a little uncer- 
tain which Smith this was, but there is reason to 
think that John Smith here mentioned was a lieu- 
tenant in the Fourth Tryon County militia. 

1^ Jacob Staring was a private in the Second 
Regiment Tryon County militia. 

112 This settlement had been begun by Sir William 
Johnson at some point on the Royal Grant, or Kings- 
land patent, and was therefore to the north of Little 
Falls. 

11* Robert Wells, nominated as major in the Cana- 
joharie militia, was killed in the massacre of Cherry 
Valley, November ii, 1778, together with his mother, 
wife, and four children, his brother and sister and 
three servants. But one of the family, a younger 
son, at school in Schenectady, escaped. 

11^ This Hanyoost Herkheimer, or John Joseph 

__ 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



Herkimer, was the third son of the patentee of the 
same name. He was born in 1751 and died in 1787. 
He finally became a Tory, went to Canada, and lost 
his property by confiscation. 

^^ Peter Bellinger, colonel of the Fourth Regi- 
ment, Tryon County militia, was born in 1758. 
He married Delia Herkimer. They had four sons 
and four daughters, and their descendants are a mul- 
titude, connecting very many families in the upper 
Mohawk Valley. 

Colonel Bellinger was a most efficient officer and an 
ardent patriot. He led his regiment at Oriskany. 
Lieut.-Col. Frederick Bellinger, of the same regiment, 
was among the prisoners taken to Canada. He and 
Major John Frey were confined together in the prison 
at Montreal, and through the kindness of Col. John 
Butler were furnished with some necessary things, 
and a little money. There were thirty Bellingers in 
the service, eight of whom were in the Fourth 
Regiment. 

^^"^ Hanyoost, or John Joseph, Shoemaker was the 
son of Rudolph Shoemaker and Gertrude Herkimer, 
and was born in 1747. Michael Myers Shoemaker 
is their great-grandson. 

'^^ There was at this time a road on the north side 
of the river leading from Albany westward ; this was 
known as the " King's Highway -, " there was like- 
wise a road on the south side ; also roads to Johns- 
town, to Stone Arabia, to Cherry Valley, and to other 
remote settlements. Without exception they were 
bad, leading as they did over high hills to avoid swamps 

[ 139 ] 



Jokn Joseph 
Herkimer 



Colonel Pete) 
Bellinger 



Hanyoost 
Shoemaker 



Road 



MINUTES OF THE 



General 

Philip 

Schuyler 



and passing through dense forests. They were either 
filled with boulders or were sloughs of mud. 

11^ Major-General Philip Schuyler, on the whole 
the most commanding figure that New York gave to 
the Revolution, was of pure Holland blood, the fourth 
in descent from the founder of the family, who emi- 
grated from Amsterdam to America in 1650. 

Philip Schuyler was now forty-two years old, com- 
missioned by the Continental Congress Major-General 
of the Northern Department, and was at this time 
burdened and almost overwhelmed with the difficulties 
incident to the occupation of Ticonderoga and the 
expedition to Canada. Added to these was the har- 
assment caused by the jealousy and hatred of New 
England for all New York things in general, and the 
Dutch Schuyler in particular. At this juncture, there- 
fore, this request of the Tryon County Committee of 
Safety must have come as an added anxiety. The 
" Memorial " nevertheless, shows the necessities of 
the situation, and that the signers had a more realiz- 
ing sense of the threatened dangers than any one 
else outside of the Mohawk Valley. 

They were told from different quarters to protect 
themselves and not call so loudly for outside help. 
Such advice showed but little understanding of the 
situation, and came easily from those remote from this 
exposed frontier, torn as it was by factions. One 
third of the inhabitants were Tories. The entire 
country was overshadowed by the influence of the 
Johnson family, who had the Mohawk Indians at their 
doors, and all Canada and the cantons of Western 

[ 140 ] ^ 



OMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



New York standing ready to strike. Besides, all the 
men and boys between fifteen and sixty were in 
the ranks, and women and old men alone managed 

the farms. 

120 Ticonderoga had been captured by Benedict 
Arnold and Ethan Allen on the loth of May. 

121 What this advertisement was is not known, but 
aside from the irregularity of its issue, the fact is ap- 
parent from various letters of the period that there 
were private jealousies and animosities, even in the 
Committee, and that even so pronounced a patriot as 
Yates was not free from suspicion. He was far 
above the most of them in intellect and education, 
and was probably opposed to some of the drastic acts 
of a majority of the Committee which drove many 
good men into the Tory ranks. 

122 Jelles or Giles Fonda was a son of Douw 
Fonda, who came from Schenectady to Caugnewaga 
(now the eastern part of the village of Fonda) at an 
early day. The elder Fonda was killed by the 

Indians. 

Jelles Fonda was born in 1727 and died in 1791. 
He was a captain under Sir William Johnson; a 
captain, and afterwards a major in Colonel Visscher's 
regiment ; captain of Associated Exempts ; was pres- 
ent with his regiment at the battle of Oriskany. 

In civil affairs he was Judge of Tryon County, 
1784 to 17-87, and a State Senator in the ist, 3d, 
4th, nth, 1 2th, 13th, and 14th sessions, covering a 
period of fourteen years. 

He was one of the early traders, his business ex- 



ticonderoga 



Ad'verttse- 
ment of 
Yates , 



Major 
Jelles Fonda 



[141] 



MINUTES OF THE 



■John 
Vedder 



William 
Wallace 

William 
Johnson — 
Indian — 

(S« HotiisS) 



Jacob 
Seeber 



Leivis 
Clement 



tending far to the west, even to Niagara and Detroit. 
His trading-post stood on what is now the Montgom- 
ery County Fair grounds; but previous to the Rev- 
olution he had built a house, mills, ashery, &c., on 
what was known then as the " Canagara, or " Cana- 
joharie," Creek, since known as the Schenck place, 
and now the location of the Montgomery County poor- 
house. These buildings were all burned in the raid 
of 1780. 

^^^ There were several Vedders and Veeders in the 
service by the name of John, and it is not possible to 
tell which of these the witness was. 

^* William Wallace was a private in the Third 
Regiment " Land Bounty Rights." 

126 William Johnson the Indian may be the one 
mentioned in Sir William Johnson's will, and called 
" Tagawirunte." He was killed at Oriskany, and it 
was to satisfy his manes that Isaac Paris, one of the 
Committeemen, was given up to torture and death. 

^26 Jacob Seeber was later a captain, and took part 
in the affair at Oriskany, but if he had any sense of 
humor, many a strenuous situation must have been 
relieved when he thought of this episode and the locat- 
ing of his " Brains " in his " Breast." 

^2^ Lodowick Putman was a private in Colonel 
Visscher's regiment. Lewis Clement is shown by 
Putman's testimony to have been a fair sample of 
those low, vicious, profane wretches who added so 
much to the horrors of the Indian warfare along the 
Mohawk. An Indian was bad, but a white man 
stripped and wearing a waist cloth, stained and 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



covered with grease and charcoal, was infinitely 
worse. 

128 At this distance of time it seems that such an 
expression of opinion as that made by Adam Loucks 
was harmless enough. Any one might have expressed 
so simple a belief. 

Loucks was a patriotic man, but he had reason to 
be annoyed by the action of the Committee. As to 
the depositions of Clock and Dr. Petry, these con- 
cerned a different class of men, and an injustice that 
the Committee might well have taken notice of. 

129 Henry W. Nellis sold the land on which the 
old Palatine church stands. The family was dis- 
rupted by the war, two of his sons being Tories. 

13" Crownidge Kinkead was an enlisted man in the 
Third Regiment Tryon County militia, and in the 
" Associated Exempts." 

131 There were several men of this name in the 
service. 

132 There were fifty-three Van Alstines in the ser- 
vice ; fifteen being in the First Regiment Tryon 
County Militia. The name is spelled in various 
ways. There are a number of Martins, but for some 
reason Martin J. does not appear in the roster. 

133 There are several Herters and Harters whose 
names appear in the roster, but none of this name. 
He appears here for the first time as a member of the 
Committee. 

13* Abraham, or Little Abraham, was a chief at the 
lower Mohawk Castle, Fort Hunter. He was an 
able man and a fluent speaker. It would appear from 

[143] 



Adam 
Loucks 



Henry W. 
Nellis 



24th Meeting 

Croivnidge 
Kinkead 

John Collins 



Martin J. 
Van Alstine 



23th Meeting 

Henrich 
Harter 



26th Meeting 

Little 
Abraham 



MINUTES OF THE 



Captain 
AbnerFrench 



Fort St. John 



2gth Meeting 

Colonel John 
Butler 



these proceedings that most of the Mohawks still re- 
mained at Fort Hunter and Indian Castle. They 
may have been sincere in their professions of friend- 
ship, but the overpowering influence of Colonel 
Johnson and Sir John turned the scale, and they 
all, with scarcely an exception, went to Canada, 
taking with them a precious heirloom, the silver 
communion service given by Queen Anne to her 
"Indian Chapel of the Mohawks "in 17 12, and 
also the Bible, prayer-book, altar cloths, and fine 
linen napkins. 

13^ Abner French was a captain in Colonel Wyn- 
koop's Regiment of militia. 

Warrensborough, or Warrensbush, was eastward of 
the mouth of the Schoharie Creek, and was a settle- 
ment that had been made by Sir Peter Warren upon 
the tract which he had bought at this point. It was 
here that Sir William Johnson came as a young man 
to take charge of his uncle's estate. 

136 Yoxt St. John on the Richlieu river was a 
stronghold occupied by an English garrison, and in 
the early fall of 1775 it was invested and taken by 
General Montgomery. In these engagements the 
few Mohawks who had gone to Canada with Guy 
Johnson took part, and it was on this account that 
the Indians of the upper castle were called upon for 
an explanation. 

^7 John Butler was the notorious leader of that 
company of cruel and vindictive Tories known as 
" Butler's Rangers." A Canadian, evidently a man of 
position and influence, has arisen to defend the acts 

[ 144] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



of these men, and this in cold blood after a hundred 
years ! 

Butler at this time must have been returning to his 
home — between Fonda and Johnstown — for con- 
sultation, and for the beginning of the organization of 
his Rangers ; that he was successful in enlisting so 
many young men of prominence in the Valley is a 
sad commentary on human nature. 

Although Butler was active with an irregular force 
of recruits previous to September, 1776, it was not un- 
til that time that he received permission from Sir Guy 
Carleton " to raise a battalion of rangers to serve 
with the Indians." There were to be eight com- 
panies, each composed of a captain, a lieutenant, 
three sergeants, three corporals and fifty privates. 
"Two Companies must understand the Indian lan- 
guage, and be acquainted with their customs and 
manners of making war." Or in other words two 
companies of the " Rangers " in particular, must re- 
vert to savagery, and take lessons in scalping and in 
torturing. That they learned their lessons well is 
testified to by the Indians themselves. 

138 William and Peter Johnson, two half-breed 
sons of Sir William, belonged to Butler's rangers. 
The language William used is not choice, but in a 
verbatim reprint it cannot be eliminated. 

139 A few pages of the " Minutes " are lost, and 
the record comes to an abrupt close ; it probably 
contained the proceedings of the Committee for the 
balance of the year 1775. That they continued to 
meet in 1776 is gathered from fragmentary refer- 



^^oth Meeting 

William 
Johnson 

J 1st Meeting 



[10] 



[HS] 



COMMITTEE OF SAFETY 



ences in local histories, where names appear as mem- 
bers, which are not on record here; they may even 
have continued on into the early summer of 1777; 
but certainly the 6th of August of that year ended 
the labors of the Committee of Safety of Tryon 
County, for at Oriskany the most of them died, or 
were wounded, or were carried away into the prisons 
of Montreal and Quebec. 

Of course in these notes it has only been possible 
to speak of names and incidents that appear in the 
Minutes. They form but a small part of the whole 
history of the struggle in Tryon County. There 
are hundreds of names just as worthy of mention 
as those about whom it has been necessary to speak : 
there is a history yet to be written, full of instances 
of heroism, courage, devotion to duty, and the cause 
of liberty, that are comparatively unknown, but still 
not equalled in any other section of the American 
Colonies. 

It is hoped that this first publication of the 
" Minutes " in a verbatim copy will be of interest. 

For the notes I am indebted to many sources; 
that they are without error is not to be expected. 
Such as they are, they will help to elucidate the 
text of this fragment of the " Minutes of the Com- 
mittee of Safety of Tryon County." 



[146] 




Abraham, Sachem, 72, 143. 
Ahrendorf, Frederick, 13, 18, 26, 30, 

48, 70, 71, 81, 8g, 99, 120. 
Allen, Ethan, 141. 
Alsop, John, 108. 
Anthony's Nose, 107, 114, 116. 
Arnold, Benedict, 141. 

Baxtor, John, 64. 

, Roger, 60, 61, 64, 66, 70. j 

, Thomas, 62-66, 70. 

Bellinger, Adam, 53, 138. 

, Frederick, 32, 129, 139. 

, Peter, 54, 97, 119, 120, 124, 

129, 13S, 139. 
Bliven, John, iS, 35, 44, 48, 54, 70, 

7I) 79) 89, 98, 124. 
Boston, I, 2, 3, 85, 87, 108, 115. 
Bown, Peter, 58, 68, 72, 74-76, 91, 

97- 
Brant, Joseph, 41, 116, 128, 131, 

132. 
Brantford, 132. 
Broadalpin, 114. 
Brown, Col. John, 108. 
"Brush sith," 50, 51, 135. 
Butlerbary, 99. 
Butler, John, 96, 100, 102, 139, 144, 

145. 

, Walter, 41, 132. 

Butler's Rangers, 132, 144. 

Cameron, James, 99-101. 

Campbell, Douglas, 123. 

, Samuel, 18, 40, 43, 46, 49, 66, 

72, 79, 89> 95> 99. 123- 

, William, 115, 123. 

Canada Creek, 47, 97, 134. 
Conajoharie District, 12, 14-18, 24, 

27, 29, 34, 37-40, 42-44, 46, 48, 



49, 54, 56, 66, 71, 77-79, 81, 85, 
89, 94,98, 99, 116, 117. 
Conajoharie Castle, 38, 82, 131. 

Falls, 133. 

Carleton, Sir Guy, 145. 
Carogue Creek, 47, 114, 134. 
Cherry Valley, 43, 83, no, 114, 116, 

118, 123, 124, 128, 138, 139. 
Claus, Daniel, 57, 113. 
Clement, Lewis, 58, 68, 72, 74-76, 

85, 91, 142. 
Clock, Jacob, 6, 10, 13, 15, rS, 27, 
29, 38, 40, 41, 47, 48, 54, 60, 64, 
66, lo, 71, 79, 86, 89, 95, 97, 98; 
112, 113, 129, 131, 138, 143. 

, John J., 49, 66, 70, 71, 79, 82, 

83, 86, 89, 98, 135. 
Clyde, Samuel, 18, 43, 46, 49, 54, 70, 

71, 79, 80, 83, 89, 98, 99, 123. 
Comes, Uriel, 63, "JT. 
Committee of Safety, 72, 137. 
Continental Congress, 3, 5, 9, n, 

108. 
Cook, George, 97. 
Cosby's Manor, 126, 128. 
Counties, 105. 

Cox, David, 13, 14, 24, 40, 44, 47, 
48, 62, 67, 70, 71, 78, 118. 

, Ebenezer, 13, 18, 27, 34, 38, 

40, 43» 45, 46, 48, 54, 66, 70, 71, 
79, 82,83,89,93, 99, 118,123. 
Crawford, George, 99, 102. 
Cimningham, William, 33, 129. 
Cuyler, Abraham, 35. 

DeGraff, Alfred, 122. 

Demooth, John, 49, 54, 72, 81, 89, 

135- 
Douw, Volkert, 129. 

Duane, James, 108. 



A, B, C, D 



[147] 



INDEX 


Z), E, F, 


Dunlap, Rev, Samuel, no. 


French, Abner, 78, 80, 83, 144. 


G, H 


Dygert, Warner, 120. 


Frey, John, 3, 6, 13, 15, 18, 26, 34, 
38, 40, 46, 48, 66, 67, 70, 71, 78, 




Backer, Jacob, 112. 


85, 86, 89, 91, 92, 98, 109, 113, 




East Canada Creek, 134. 


115, 128, 136, 139. 




Eker, George, 6, 13, 15, 18, 27, 35, 






38, 40, 43, 48, 70, 71, 79. 89, 98, 


Garoga Creek. See Carogue Creek. 




112. 


German Flats, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 26, 




Eisenlord, John, 29, 30, 34, 38, 46, 


30. 32, 35. Z7, 48, 49. 54. 67, 69, 




48, 49, 66, 68, 70, 71, 7^, 80, 83, 


71, 79, 81, 85, 89, 92, 93, 97, 99, 




86, 89, 93, 96-98, 127, 128. 


117, 119, 128, 129, 135. 
Goal, 84, 137. 




Fall Hill, 15, 44, 116, 120. 


Gordon, Charles, 47, 60, 61, 64, 66, 




Finck, Andrew, 3, 6, 10, 13, 15, 18, 


70, 79. 




26, 35,40, 43-45. "I- 


Guy Park, 22, 113, 114, 126. 




Fisher, Frederick, 16, 18, 27, 48, 54, 






66, 70, 71, 81, 89, 90, 98, 121, 


Hall, Edward, 32. 




122, 124, 137, 141, 142. 


Hamilton, Philip, 113. 




Fonda, Adam, 16, 18, 24, 27, 35, 43, 


Hare, John, 97. 




44. 48, 54. 56, 70. 71, 78, 98, 120, 


Harper, John, 119. 




121. 


Harter, Henry, 49, 70, 72, 81, 89, 




, Douw, 141. 


143- 




, Jelles, 55, 58, 141. 


Heints, Henry, 49, 8t, 89, 98, 135. 




, John, 49-51, 136, 137. 


Hellmer, Frederick, 18, 30,35, 49, 67, 




Fort Hunter, 41, 72, 131, 132, 143, 


70, 81, 89, 124. 




144. 


Henry, Thomas, i8, 123. 




Keyser, 134. 


Herkimer, 117. 




Klock, 112. 


, Delia, 138, 139. 




Nellis, 135. 


, George, 13, 18, 30, 36, 49, 67, 




Plain, III, 117, 123, 127. 


70, 81, 93, 99, 109, no, 113, 119, 




Rensselaer, 117. 


120. 




Stanwix, 33, 36, in, 123, 127^ 


, Gertrude, 128, 139. 




130. 133- 


, Hannikel, 61. 




St. John, 83, 95, 144. 


, Johan Jost, 31, 54, 117, 128, 




Fox, Christopher, 6, 10, 15, 18, 113. 


138, 139- 




, Frederick, 13, 18, 24, 30, 49, 


, Magdalena, 120. 




81,89,99, 119,135. 


, Nicholas, 13, 18, 24-30, 32, 




, Philip W., 10, 96, 114. 


66, 70,71,78,86,89,98,117, 120, 




, William J., 49, 70, 71, 79, 89, 


128. 




98, 135- 


Hess, Augustinus, 13, 18, 25, 26, 




Francis, Turbot, 129. 


30. 35. 48, 70. 71, 81, 89, 99, 120. 




Franck, John, 13, 18, 26, 30, 49, 67, 


Holmer, Frederick, 18. 




70,81, 89,92,93, 99, 119. 


House, Christian, 60, 61, 63, 64, 66. 




Freel, John, 99, loi, 102. 


Hunt, Thomas, 50, 51. 



[148] 



INDEX 



Irving, Washington, 109. 

Ittig, Michael, 13, 18, 30, 48, 81, 89, 

99, 120,1129. 
, Marcus, 33, 129. 

Jay, John, 108. 

Jogues, Isaac, 133. 

Johnson, Guy, 8, 10, 11, 18, 24, 25, 

33. 40, 58, 99-103. "3-"6, 125- 

128, 131, 132, 144. 
, Sir John, 81, 83-85, 113, 114, 

121, 132, 137, 144. 

, Mary, 114. 

, Mrs. Peggy, 39. 

, Peter, 145. 

, Thariachyako, 39. 

, Sir William, 54,88,95,96,110, 

113, 114, 116, 132, 137, 138, 141, 

144. 

, William (Indian), 65, 142, 145. 

Johnson Hall, 7, 57, 113, 114, I2i- 
Johnstown, 8, 59, 61, 81,85,95, 99, 

110, 113, 114, 125. ^Z7^ 139- 

Kachanawago, 58. 

Kayser, John, 45, 53, 134. 

Kingsborough, 81, 99, 114. 

King's Highway, 11, 23, 139. 

Kingsland District, 12-14, 17, 18, 
26, 30, 35, 37, 48, 49. 54. 62, 69, 
71, 81, 89, 92, 97, 99, 116, 117, 

"9. 134, 135. 138- 
Kinkead, Crownidge, 68, 143. 
Kinton, John, 49. 
Kirkland, Samuel, 128, 129, 
Klock, Jacob, See Clock. 

Lane, Daniel, 18, 43, 124. 
Letter to Albany Committee, 40. 

to Congress, 88. 

to Guy Johnson, 18, 125. 

to Sir John Johnson, 84. 

Little Falls, 41, 42, 92, 93, 107, 130, 
133. 138. 



Livingston, Philip, 108. 

Loucks, Adam, 1,4, 59, 60, 107, 143. 

Low, Isaac, 108. 

Mabv. See Meby. 

Marlatt, John, 16, 18, 27, 70, 71, "j^, 

77, 78, 80, 89, 91, 98, 121. 
Massachusetts Bay, 11, 19, 105-107. 
McDougall, Daniel, 6, 10, 13, 14, 18, 

24, 27, 40, 43, 44, 46, 48, 66, 68, 

70, 81, 89, 96, 112. 
, Duncan, i'^^ 14, 18, 24, 26, 30, 

70, 72, 79, 86, 99, 119. 
McMarten, James, 124. 
McMaster, James, 18, 44, 70, 71, 79, 

82,83,89,97,98.. 
Meby, Joseph, 47, 134. 
Mitchell, Hugh, 129. 
Montgomery County, 106, 108, 124, 

142. 
Montreal, 100-102, 127, 139. 
Moore, John, 13, 18, 40, 49, 66, 70, 

71. 77, 90. 91, "8. 

Mohawk District, 7, 16, 17, 18, 22, 
24, 27, 29, 35, 43, 44, 48, 49, 54- 
56, 66, 68, 69, 71, 74, 76, 78, 81, 
83, 89, 98, 105, III, 114, 120, 121, 
125. 

Mohawk Indians, 10, 18, 72, 91, 107, 
109, 115, 116, 131,132, 141. 

Mohawk River, 18, 94, 106, 107, 114, 
116. 

Mount Johnson, 113. 

Nelles, Christian, 49, 66, 70, 71, 

79, 86, 89, 98, 135. 

, Henry, 62, 63, 143. 

North Germantown, 35, 47, 53, 83, 

130. 
Nose Hill. See Anthony's Nose. 

Old England District, 116. 
Old Treaty Line, 106. 
Oneida Indians, 10, 13, 18, 32, 36, 
95, 115, 116, 120, 128, 129. 



/, 7, ^, L, 

M, N, O 



[ 149 ] 



INDEX 


0, P, ^, 


Oriskany, 109, no, 112, 113, 117- 


Schenectady, 14, 32, 37, 40, 45, 74, 


R,s, r 


120, 127-129, 138, 139, 141, 142, 


100, 105, 122, 126, 129, 130, 131, 




146. 


132, 138- 
Schoharie Creek, 133, 144. 




Palatine District, i, 4, 6, 10, 12- 


Schuyler, PhiHp, 42, 54, 74, 140. 




15, iS, 24, 26, 29, 34, 35, 37-40, 43, 


, William, 18, 44, 48, 70, 71, 




44, 46-49, 54, 55, 60, 62, 63, 65, 


80, 81, 98, 124. 




66, 71, 78, 79, 81, 89, 94, 98, io7> 


Schremblings Kill, 127, 133. 




109, 113, 114, 135. 


Seeber, Jacob, 57, 79, 85, 97, 142. 




Palatine Church, in, 112, 114, 134, 


, William, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 27, 




143- 


29, 34, 38, 40, 42-46, 48, 56, 66, 




Paris, Isaac, 3, 6, 10, 13, 15, 17, 26, 


70, 72, 79, 86, 89, 99, 117. 




34, 38, 44, 46, 66, 70, 71, 78, 90, 


Seneca Indians, 87. 




98, 109, 142. 


Shaffer, PhiUp, 76, 79. 




, Peter, 109. 


Shoemaker, Anna Gertrude, 128 




Pemberton, William, 76. 


, John Joseph, 54, 128, 139. 




Petry, John, 13, 18, 30, 34, 46, 47, 


, Michael Myers, 139. 




119, 134. 


, Rudolph, 31, 128, 139. 




, Marcus, 13, 18, 119. 


Simmons, Sampson, 16, 18, 27, 35, 




, William, 13, 17, 25, 30, 49, 61, 


43, 48, 56, 66, 70, 71, Si, 89, 90, 




62,81, 89, 99, 119, 143. 


98, 121, 




Pickard, John, 118. 


Six Nations, 19, 33, 34, 87, 106. 




Picken, John, 99. 


Smith, John, 53, 138. 




, Robert, 97, 99. 


Staring, Jacob, 53, 97, 138. 




Pickert, Cunrad, 27, 47, 49, 53, 67, 


Stevenson, Capt., 7^^, 74. 




70, 72, 81, 89, 99. 


St. Johns, 92. 




, George, 124. 


St. Johnsville, 112, 135. 




, John, 13, 18, 27, 40, 46, 81, 


St. Regis, 105. 




89, 99, 118, 124. 


Stone Arabia, i, 59, 107-109, in, 




Provincial Congress, 27, 29, 37, 42, 


139- 




45, 47, 67, 77, 83, 88, 89, 108-110, 






118, 121. 


Ten Broecks, Samuel, 44, 45, no. 




Putman, Lodowick, 58, 59, 142. 


134- 
Thompson, John, 31, loi, 103, 128. 




Queen Anne's Chapel, 144. 


Ticonderoga, 54, 74, 75, 140, 141. 
Tryon County, 1-3, 31, 54, 67, 99, 




Reber, Andrew, 6, 10, 13, 18, 26, 


100, 105-108, no, 113-124, 126, 




35, 38, 40, 43, 46, 48, 66, 70, 71, 


129, 130, 132, 136, 13S, 




79, 89, 98, I". 


Tryon County Militia, 54, 11, 112, 




Rickert. See Prickert. 


118, 121, 124, 127, 129, 134, 13s, 




Robinson, John, 100. 


138, 139, 142, 143- 




Roseboom, John, 129. 


Tuscarora Indians, 32, 128. 
Tygert, Peter S., 40, 42, 44, 131. 




Sammons, Jacob, 114, 121. 


, Werner, 15, 17, 44,45, 46. 



[150] 



INDEX 



Van Alstyne, Gose, 26, 

Z7, 39, 4S, 51, 62, 66, 71, 

93, 94, 98, 127. 

, Marte J., 68. 

Van Horn, Abraham, 18, 27, 

70, 71,80, Si, 89, 98, 124, 
Van Rensselaer, Robert, 117. 
Van Slyck, Harmanus, 6, 10, 

18, 34, 38, 40, 43, 47, 48, 

70, 71, 79, 86, 89, 98, 113. 
Van Vechten, Anthony, 6, 13, 

27, 48, 49, 54, 57, 70, 71, 

"3- 
Vedder, Volkert, 16, 18, 27, 

44, 48, 66, 70, 71, 79, 89, 9 

, John, 56, 142. 

Visher, Visscher, Visgor. 

Fisher. 



28, 34, 
78, 89, 



44, 48, 



13, 15, 
54, 66, 

15, iS, 
78, 89, 

35, 43, 
S, 121. 

See 



Waggoner, Peter, 6, 10, 13, 15, 
18, 24, 26, 35, 38, 40, 43, 44, 46, 
48, 54, 66, 70, 71, 81, 89, 98, 112. 

Wagner, Webster, 112. 

Wall, Edward, 13, 14, 17, 24-26, 30, 
119. 



Wallace, William, 66, 142. 
Warren, Sir Peter, 144. 
Warrensborough, 78, 80, 144. 
Washington, George, 123. 
Weaver, Jacob, 13, 30, 67, 81, 89, 

99, "9- 
Weber, John Jacob, 70. 
Wells, Robert, 54, 138. 
Wents, George, 13, 18, 30, 67, 70, 

71, 81,89, 99, 119- 
White, Alexander, 49, 50, 51, 55, 56, 

58, 61, 62, 67, 72, no, 136, 137. 
Wormuth, Mathew, 128. 

Yates, Abraham, 16, 27, 48, 49, 71, 

81, 122. 
, Christopher P., 3, 6, 10, 13, 15, 

17, 26, 27, 2-;, 40, 43, 44, 45, 55, 

91, 108, no, 130. 
, Robert, 54. 

Zessinger, Anna Catherina, 60. 

, Nicholas, 59, 60. 

Zimmerman, Henry, 64, 94. 
, Lawrence, 79, 89, 98. 



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